The Nightmare of Midnight
by LilyFierros
Summary: NOW BEING REWRITEN IN: THE RISE OF A NIGHTMARE. If you are in for a story, you'll like more the rewrite - RIGHT NOW IT'S BEING UPDATED DAILY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
1. The Midnights

**Disclaimer: I don´t own Harry Potter or its Characters. I only own my own OOC characters, obviously.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: The Midnights<strong>

Nightmare stopped right behind a door. He couldn't believe he was so nervous – after all, this was his organization, his way of telling his parents he, Nightmare, was as capable as his twin brother. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a commotion at the other side of the door, and dumbly opened the door – his hands were still sweaty because of his sudden nervousness - wanting to help, if the sound were what he thought they were.

Everyone continued screaming, even when he was inside the room, and Nightmare tried calling them to stop, ("Hey!" and "Calling the Midnights!") but he lost patience after a few minutes.

"STOP!" he screamed at the top of his voice, a wave of energy traveling through the room, making everybody freeze. They had felt the power emanating from his body, and some of them were terrified. "Now, would you be so kind to explain to me what's going on?"

Everyone looked at each other, and finally, one spoke.

"We were just... _talking_ about the last mission," Shade explained, stopping just a little before continuing. "They think it would be better if we had just jumped into the water, than calling our brooms." he said, pointing to the other side of the room, where Light was starting to get up.

Nightmare sighed. The Midnight organization had been fighting with each other for a while now – and it was starting to drive him mad.

"Please, stop," he started tiredly, rubbing his eyes with his left hand. "Light, seriously - stop now. We have more important things to talk about, and there's nothing we can do to change the last mission, so please, leave it."

The tired tone of their leader must have caught their attention, because everyone sat, and hushed quickly.

"Hogwarts needs our help," said Nightmare, once he knew he had his complete attention. "And this is the plan..."

.

All the Lightnings waited impatiently in the Headquarters, a hidden place in London. It was a comfortable big room, with maps adorning the wall, weapons hanging on another, a bed and a couple sofas pushed to the side, and on the opposite side, a place to train.

One of them finally burst in frustration, the agony of waiting for their leader too much to handle for the impatient strategist and telekinesis.

"Why Nightmare does always have to meet with the other leaders?" he asked.

The others sighed. This topic was commonly brought up as they waited for Nightmare.

The girl flipped her red hair behind her shoulder as she spoke. "You know why, Echo. He is the Supreme Leader, so he has to know how the others are doing**." **

"But why doesn't he just send an owl, or uses his powers?" Echo asked his sister.

"Because then we could be found, and you know that Nightmare hates about having so much powers."

"But then why do we never get to go?" he asked in frustration, looking up as he paced around the room.

"Echo, just stay quiet for once! We like waiting in _silence_," Wind said in exasperation, putting an emphasis on the last word.

"Flame, it's just that Night is quite the character, you never know what he is planning," Echo said, looking at his sister. Wind huffed beside him, disliking being ignored by her boyfriend.

Flame agreed with her brother, and replied next. "But he also is the best leader we could ask for. He certainly knows what he is doing."

"Of course I do." said a new voice from the doorway. Everyone instantly turned from their various positions to look at him.

"Finally, Nightmare! Took you long enough! I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry, Echo," Nightmare said, rolling his eyes.

Echo looked around the room and his ears turned bright red when he only saw the other people in it nod in agreement, a smile on each of their faces.

"Anyway, how did the meeting with the other leaders go?" asked Wind, curiously.

"It was pretty good, actually – ignoring the fact that at first they were screaming at each other. But after silencing them and telling them the plan, they agreed with it. Dumbledore had to ask for help, didn't he?"

Earlier that week Albus Dumbledore had sent a letter in which he stated that he wanted the Lightnings to protect Hogwarts, specifically Charles Potter, the so-called Boy-Who-Lived. Nightmare didn't want to do that, but he cared for the safety of the children at Hogwarts. He always had a soft spot for them, being one, in age only, himself.

When he was younger, he had been neglected and occasionally even abused, in favour of his brother. That stopped when he ran away and met his real family, who were named the Lightnings. He looked at all seven of them. There they were, Flame at his side (as always), Tornado just a little farther than Flame, in the seat by the fire, reading; Echo and Wind at a comfortable two seats cushion, and finally, Rock, Frost and Blade were just coming back from their normal training, back at the training room.

Flame was thirteen years old. Her power was fire. When she had been younger, her family had neglected her in favour of her older brothers, who were all talented at what they did, whether it was taming dragons, breaking curses, doing the very best in school or causing mischief. That caused her to run away – not that she didn't missed them (specially her older brother Bill, who always helped her) - like her youngest brother, Echo.

Echo´s power was telekinesis. He was fourteen years old and ran away for the same reasons as Flame. In fact, he probably was the most ignored in the house. Flame and Echo´s mum had always want a girl, and when she had Echo (whom, she thought was going to finally be a girl) – well, it was definitely what she didn´t want. Flame was born at last, just one year after Echo, but the family passed a tragedy. Flame had had once a twin sister. And soon after she was born, she died, because of health problems. And thus, the only person who would ever attend to her – her mum – was lost in grief and pain. Echo had been the one to get her out of that house and together, they met Nightmare just a year after they left their home, when they were on the streets, stealing food from a very nasty, mean man.

Wind, a pretty girl with slightly bushy, curly hair; was Echo´s girlfriend, and was the same age than him. Her power was air. She had been abandoned by her parents at an orphanage because being Muggles, they had feared her for her magic. She was found by Nightmare when she was six as she still was in the orphanage. Nightmare had offered her a place in their group after learning her story.

Tornado was also fourteen, and his element was air, just as Wind´s. He despised his parent's ideas about Muggleborns, and loathed the idea of becoming a Death Eater. When his parents found out about this, they started beating him and he left soon after. He had been found by Wind, one rainy day soon after he had ran from his home. He still had trouble accepting what had happened. He had, in the past, everything he had wanted; and, was the last member to be accepted into the group, just a few years ago.

Rock was fourteen, too, and his power was earth. He had been left in the streets by his grandmother who couldn't stand looking at him after his parents were attacked. He met Flame one day when she was on a mission for Nightmare, and he had been taken in, gladly.

Frosty was thirteen, the same age as Flame. Her power was water. She left her house when she was nine, after she saw her mother die, and couldn't find her way home ever since. Either way, she was a seer, so she followed the path she dreamed about and found the Lightnings, whom were really nice to her, and accepted all of her oddities; and she has never feel alone since she found them.

Blade, was fourteen, and was gifted at metalworking. He made all of the Lightnings weapons and armor. He left home when his mother wedded yet again, being sick of having to call more people 'Father', and afraid of his own mum; who was already suspected with the murder of all her husbands, and certainly wouldn´t hesitate in trying to kill him. Frost then found him wandering around and guided him to the group.

"So what did they think?" Rock asked, interrupting Nightmare thoughts.

"Ivy thinks it's risky, Light thinks it's a rather good idea, Shade just muttered quietly, Eagle says he will help, and Moon warned me about a stormy week," said Nightmare, still amused at his beta leaders reactions. Ivy, Light, Shade, Eagle, Moon, and he were all leaders in The Midnights, the magical group they were part of. He was the leader of the group, whose name was famous to witches and wizards anywhere.

"So, will the Lightnings attend Hogwarts?" asked Shock, voicing everyone's thoughts, and hopes. Every one of them, except for Nightmare, had wanted to attend the magical school since very young, and, because certain _problems_, they hadn´t been able to do so.

Nightmare pretended to think really hard about it for a moment, even thought he was only adding his beta leaders opinions with his own.

Finally, he smiled and answered, "Everything that's risky is okay to me."

Flame and Wind smiled, happy at the results. Blade looked at the floor in interest, rolling his eyes at Echo, who was still groaning for food, as thought he hadn´t heard the last statement. Frosty and Rock clasped each other's hands happily**, **and even Shock was smiling, a rare event.

Nightmare stood in the middle of the room, words leaving his lips in mutters and a smile present on his face. "I hope it all goes to plan."

To the contrary of what his friends thought about him, he didn´t always know what to do. In fact, in most situations he was lost. But he trusted his feelings, and he really hoped the one he had now was wrong, as it was warning him of something.

.

The Order of the Phoenix sat waiting in the dining room at their Headquarters, Number 12 Grimmauld Place. It was silent, a rare occasion, what with argumentative and boisterous members. This silence was caused by waiting for the Lightnings, an important part of the Midnights.

The silent was broken, thought, when one member whispered to another: "Who do you think they will be, Minerva?"

The Midnights were well known in the Wizarding World as powerful witches and wizards, each of them capable of controlling an element. Some said that the leader had all of them. Dumbledore himself feared them a little, as they were powerful and influential. Some believed that even Voldemort feared them. But, as much rumors the wizards and witches had, none knew their identities.

In other words, the Midnights were a powerful group, more so than even that the Order itself, and even more secret.

And just then, and before Minerva McGonagall could answer to Sturgis Podmore, an image of lightning struck the ground of the meeting room with a loud crack.

All of the Order members screamed in fear, some of them even standing. After all, how did lightning just strike if they were in a building? But then they saw the girl that appeared out of the smoke. She looked around fourteen, and her eyes were chocolate colored and her hair bushy and brown.

"The Lightnings had agreed to protect Hogwarts. My fellow members will arrive soon," she said with a clear voice, and a small, graceful bow to the group.

"Who are _you_?" Lily Potter sneered, clearly not impressed with the girl.

"My name is Wind," she answered calmly, her arms behind her back, and her back straight. "I am part of the group known as the Lightnings – my element is air." To show this, she created a small tornado on her hand.

Everyone seemed really shocked, and a bit skeptical, since she was only a kid! Before they had time to ask her questions about it, another lightning bolt struck. This time, a boy appeared.

"I suppose you did as we agreed, didn´t you, Wind?" he asked. His hair was silver blond, and his cool grey eyes sparked with life and mischief – thought if you looked closely, you could see pain hidden in those young eyes.

"I did," Wind nodded, feigning her pose, as though she was hurt because he thought she wouldn't go by the plan.

"Excellent. Now it´s my turn to introduce myself. My name is Tornado, and my element is air." unlike Wind, he not only let them see his element, but showed off his power, making the same tornado - but bigger – and smirked at the girl at his side, when she glared at him in annoyance.

The Order gaped at him, another kid in the Lightnings? But they jumped as another lightning fell, a girl appearing.

"Hello, Order, Professor Dumbledore," she said, in a dreamy voice, her eyes unfocused, which really creep the Order out. "I'm Frosty and my element is water." A stream of water flowed from her palm effortlessly, hitting Dumbledore on his beard. "I am sorry about that, Professor!"

The Order, completely predictably, was stunned again beyond words. Professor Dumbledore, thought, had taken out his wand, and was trying to dry his soaked beard.

Another Lightning bolt struck, and a boy and a girl appeared after the loud crack.

"Hi! Our names are Flame and Echo," Flame said. Echo nodded as his name was called, and continued talking."Flame´s element is fire, and mine is telekinesis." A blast of fire came from Flame's hand, Flame looking down at it with satisfaction. Echo smiled, and then looked at the table. A moment later the table had moved slightly forward.

Silence rang through the room, although Molly Weasley wondered if they were her lost children; they certainly looked like her and her family. And they had the same Weasley traits: red hair and freckles.

Another lightning bolt fell. This time only a boy appeared from the smoke.

"I'm called Blade. I have a gift with Metal, and I create all of our armory and weapons."

The Order blinked in shock at Blade's statement, more specifically his statement that he created the entire armory.

Finally, another bolt struck the ground, this one the most powerful and fearful. A boy stepped from the smoke it produced, and he easily had the most powerful presence.

He nodded towards the Lightnings, who all nodded back in respect. He was obviously the leader, judging by the respect he seemed to receive effortlessly.

"I am Nightmare. I have all of the elements at my will and call, and I am the Supreme Leader of the Midnights." He showed some powers, fire, light, water and wind. "We have come here to help. And I think it should be better if we come to Hogwarts, as students, that's it."

The leader, Nightmare, took a look at some of the people of the room – Lily and James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.

"Could I talk for a little while to four Order members?" he asked politely, and then nodded to the four people he had been looking at.

Lily and James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, stood from the seats they were in, and walked towards the Lightnings, eyes shining in curiosity.

"Mufliatto," whispered Flame, wand in hand, pointing it towards the rest of the Order of the Phoenix.

Nightmare sighed, and looked at the four people of the Order, cautiously, but confused. He had never understood their actions towards him, and at the moment it wasn´t the time to have answers. "I just wanted to explain, I am Harry, your son." he looked only at the Potters when he said it, and the four stood shocked before a loud "_What!_" was heard.

The non-Potters were the first to get over the shock.

"Harry, is it really you?" asked Sirius, taking one step towards his godson, eyeing him in wonder and hope.

"Yes, thought I go now by Nightmare," he corrected them.

"Harry – I mean, Nightmare, about our poor treatment to you..." started Remus, after a minute of standing shocked, Sirius looking regretful once he got his answer. It was Harry! It was really Harry. And he couldn´t be nothing but remorseful of his actions towards him. Maybe if he hadn´t agreed to James and Lily, maybe Harry wouldn´t have run off. Maybe he would still be with his family, happy – No, Sirius thought strongly. Harry would never be happy with his parents. Not the way they used to treat him...

"I understand. Really, I do. I just can't forgive you so easily, it will take time. But I will, I promise." he said, with total honesty, but sneaking a few glances at his family – his parents – and saw that both of them still looked shocked.

James finally found his voice.

"Son, I know that what we did too you were bad, and wrong and even cruel, but will you pardon us, please?"

Nightmare shook his head furiously, unable to believe what he was hearing. They really expected him to forgive their actions that easily? After years of neglect and abuse? As if!

"Father, you can't just come to me and say "Sorry Harry, I apologize for how I acted!"" he said sarcastically, and Flame placed a calming hand on his arm, and he took a deep breath, and continued more quietly and calmly. "You didn´t want me when I was a "burden" to you, and you change your mind when you suddenly discover I am powerful!"

"I can't?" James looked half-sheepish. Every one turned to glare at him – that's everyone but his wife.

Nightmare blinked. Really? Was his Father deaf or something?

"I told you! You have only cared ever about Charles, and not that I blame him – of course not, but you are so deep in this boy-who-lived nonsense! What If I were that boy, the one to stop Voldemort? Uh? How would you treat Charles?" he asked and they shifted guiltily. "Exactly. Is this worth it?"

Nightmare stopped to take a breath and calm down, thought it didn´t work very well**. **"And I hope you learn from your big mistake," Nightmare finished in a low angry voice that frightened his family even more than if he had shouted and looked away from them, walking towards the confused Order members, as he eliminated the Mufliatto.

.

Flame hesitated for a brief moment if she was supposed to follow her boyfriend or not. She wanted more than all, to scream too at his 'parents' – she, more than anyone, knew what he felt about them… she was the only one Nightmare showed his pain to, but at some shakes of heads from her friends – her family – she directed a glare towards Lily and James Potter, and followed Nightmare´s path, walking slowly to where he was.

"People, I think we´ve had a lot of fun. I would stay here to enjoy it, but we have to go." he spoke with authority, the angry teen he had been only minutes ago completely vanished.

His fellow Lightnings looked disappointed, but nodded anyway.

"Well, dear Order and parents we hope to see you in September! See you!" he said cheerfully, his friends looking at him, waiting to be transported.

They left with another lightning bolt, though this time only one, leaving a confused Order of the Phoenix, and one stunned quartet.

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><p><strong>Author Note:<strong>

**Hey guys! Here is the new and better first chapter! YAY! **

**Anyway. Here is the plan:**

**I will be working all days this week, to try to finish this story. I am nearly there! **

**I will try to post at least one chapter everyday, IF, it was a chapter like this, in which I only Edited some things. **

**WHEN I get to post the chapters that are totally new for you, I will post two or three a week. I wasn´t joking, when I said, I would try to finish by next week.**

**Anyway, enjoy the changes!**

**Lily**


	2. A Strange Sorting

**Disclaimer: I don´t own Harry Potter or its characters.  
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><p><strong>Chapter 2: A Strange Sorting<strong>

_Lightnings,_

_With my most regretful apologies, I would like to tell you that Hogwarts will not need you after all. My deepest apologies on worrying you as I did – you have to understand: you are too young._

_I apologize again for worrying you with the safety of the students at Hogwarts. I have found that they are quite safe without your assistance, and several security measures have been added against unwanted guests. _

_Enclosed are some Lemon Drops, as an apology gift for causing you problems and worry. _

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore._

_Headmaster of Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft, and Wizardry._

As Nightmare read the letter, all the Lightnings fidgeted in their positions, wanting to see what it was about. They would have to wait a little more, because when Nightmare finished reading it, flames began making their way thought the parchment, burning the letter, and causing the others to wince. It must have been really bad.

Nightmare stared at the ashes in puzzlement which made Flame and Wind exchange worried looks; that was a rare occasion, indeed.

"So," Rock started. Everybody's heads turned towards him. "What did it say?"

Nightmare took a deep breath, and the rest of the Lightnings waited in anticipation, fidgeting.

"Apparently, Dumbledore doesn't need us anymore." Everybody started letting out protests. They had gone to them and revealed the Lightnings for that?

Tornado stood, shaking his head. Looking at Nightmare, he said, "Then, what are we going to do?"

Flame smiled mischievously, knowing her boyfriend more than well enough to know what he was thinking.

"We are going anyway, of course. I didn't meet my parents again for nothing." With that statement, the meeting was finished. Nightmare turned from his group, walking over to one of the sofas in the room.

Wind got up and took Echo´s hand, pulling him to a library that they had two doors away from the main room. Tornado and Blade both went to practice their dueling skills, betting with each other about the results of their oncoming match. Rock and Frosty retired to their rooms, the airy blonde and the earth elemental claiming it had been a long day and leaving Flame and Nightmare alone in the warm room.

Flame watched Nightmare, who didn't seem to notice she was there. Nightmare was facing a fireplace that they had all put on that room, because of the coldness, flames dancing in the wood.

Twirling a lock of hair around her finger, Flame stood and determined, walked towards Nightmare, who was lost in thought. She sat with him, taking his hand.

"You did the right thing, Nightmare." she said, knowing he was still doubting if revealing themselves to the Order was for the best or not. Many saw him as invincible, or thought he always was certain about his decisions, but she knew best. Even with all the power he had, he was still a child, just like any Lightning. Yes, every Lightning needed help, but so did Nightmare, and she was determined to be the one who gave it to him.

He looked at her, determination in his emerald eyes, the flames of the fireplace reflecting in them.

"I only hope it's for the best." he whispered, returning his gaze to the fire.

"It will be for the best, you´ll see." she said, with so much determination in her voice, Nightmare couldn't help but believe her.

"I really hope you´re right about that." He whispered, before closing his eyes, and relaxing at her side.

.

Albus Dumbledore was chatting happily to a suspicious Minerva McGonagall, who thought something had just happened, and she couldn´t stay quiet about it.

"Albus, you seem more...happy this morning" she said, her eyes on the Headmaster as Albus took a slip of pumpkin juice and laughed, eyes twinkling madly.

"You think, Minerva? I feel normal." he said, receiving strange looks from the teachers, who all thought the same as the Transfiguration Professor. Yes, Albus Dumbledore was weird. But not _that _weird, was he?

"Certainly, something´s happened, you weren't this happy when you discovered the Lightnings were kids." Minerva stubbornly said, planning on not giving up on the subject.

"Don't worry, Minerva, it's nothing. Please, don´t stop eating because of me." The Headmaster turned back to his food, to his Deputy Headmistress's annoyance.

Both were eating breakfast in the Great Hall, as all the staff members were. It was a week before the holidays ended, and all the professors had come back already, to sort out their classrooms and schedules and such things that all Professors do.

Dumbledore thought everything was now going according to plan. After being furious at finding the long lost twin of Charles Potter, (which he discovered after invading the Marauder's minds – which, of course, they didn´t notice) he tried thinking more about it, and truly, he wasn't so happy about that, obviously. Harry Potter, in his opinion, was better missing, thus as why he had send the letter to the Lightnings. Dumbledore hadn´t gotten an answer yet, but he expected it to arrive soon. And anyway, it wasn´t like he cared what those kids would think about it.

Just then the doors opened, revealing the eight teens Albus Dumbledore had been thinking about, and he really had hoped he wouldn't have to see again.

Harry Potter walked confidently to the middle of the hall, the rest of the Lightnings following him with a grin or a smirk, in Tornado´s and Blade´s cases, on each of their faces.

"What are you doing here?" Dumbledore said in an annoyed manner, surprising his colleagues in his sudden change of humor. "I recall sending you a letter stating that you aren't welcome in Hogwarts?"

"You did," Nightmare said, nodding his head. But his pose didn´t change, which infuriated the Headmaster even more."It just didn´t felt like it was the right thing to do, and we'll protect the students, if you want it or not."

Dumbledore rose from his comfortable armchair in anger, bringing mutters from the teachers.

"What are you doing here?" the Headmaster repeated half-exasperated, half-annoyed. "You are _not_ welcome here."

Wind took a step, bringing her in front of Nightmare and closer to the Headmaster. Albus's foot twitched, as if he wanted to step backwards.

"You see, _Headmaster, _you have to let us stay. We are _underage_, after all. Isn't there a Ministry law that says that all underage wizards and witches, no matter who they are, have to be schooled?"

Dumbledore felt trapped. He knew the law, of course. He had helped write it. _Trapped by his own ideas!_

"Alright," Dumbledore said, frowning. "You can stay, but I warn you, I better not see you close to Charles Potter, or Voldemort will be the least of your problems."

Tornado and Blade snorted. "As if**," **The thought of interacting with Charles Potter was obviously foreign to them.

Dumbledore looked over the Lightnings, frowning when he counted eight instead of the seven he had been introduced to. "You seemed to have added another member since we met last," he said inquiringly.

Flame and Wind rolled their eyes in unison, causing a smile to appear on Frosty's lips while she played with a water drop she had summoned from the Lake earlier, the dreamy expression never leaving her face, thought her eyes held a look of amusement.

"Well, I was visiting my parents when the rest went to the Order meeting. My name is Rock. I can control the earth." Rock, having taken out a stone from his pocket when he started speaking, began playing with it, morphing the rock into different shapes. Dumbledore, who froze for a while, did not know what to say.

Flame, quite noticeably, was growing impatient. Fire was beginning to tickle her hands, occasionally spurting out in a column. Previous shock forgotten, Albus stepped back; it didn't hurt to be safe, after all. It was a good thing he did because she snapped moments later, a column of flame sped to the place he had previously occupied.

"Now, as much as we want to stay here," she growled, "we are not leaving Hogwarts ´til the year ends, so maybe you will want to show us our rooms or something."

Nightmare calmly placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to stop her bad mood.

"Shh - Flame," he said soothingly. "Come on, breath in, breath out."

Flame obliged, and some Lightnings rolled their eyes at them. This was not a new conversation between the couple; Flame had a nasty temper.

Albus frowned, but then nodded when Flame looked at him impatiently, her hands still playing with fire. He stood from the left table, leaving the hall. He knew the Lightnings were following because he heard footsteps. He walked a bit before stopping in front of a gargoyle.

Once he got there, Albus murmured the password ("Chocoballs")**, **and entered his room. Albus looked at his shelves, eyes passing by various silver instruments, decorations, and trinkets before they rested on an old, battered hat.

The hat stirred, and looked at the headmaster.

"You need a Sorting, headmaster?" said the hat.

Dumbledore nodded in reply.

"Then, I may speak about the houses first. The houses were founded by four friends: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. One day, Slytherin said, tired of the mixing of bloods, and the danger it caused, 'Only those with pureblood, and ambition I may teach.' Gryffindor replied angrily, 'Then, only those with chivalry and courage I will.' Ravenclaw told them sternly, "Only those who want wisdom would learn from me." To that, Hufflepuff replied gently, "I will teach all who want to learn from me." Then, the founders..."

"We do not have time for _Hogwarts: A History;_ so please, just sort them," Albus snapped at the hat causing an indignant expression to appear on its tattered cloth. The girls in the room smirked, amused by the hat´s indignation.

Albus sighed. "Who wants to get sorted first?"

Blade smiled, saying, "I will." And he stepped forward.

Dumbledore placed the hat on his head. It stayed mute for a second then yelled, "_SLYTHERIN!"_

Dumbledore's frown deepened, especially when he saw the Lightnings clap Blade on the back, each of them smiling.

Rock stepped up next. Dumbledore set the hat upon his head gently, looking at the Earth master.

"_HUFFLEPUFF_!" the hat called. Albus pondered that, well, at least it wasn't another Slytherin.

Rock went to his group; they congratulated him as well, and pushed Tornado forward to go next.

Tornado turned around, glared at his innocent looking friends, and went to where the Headmaster and the hat were, muttering, "Thanks guys, that's really nice," as the Headmaster placed the hat on his head. The group waited for nearly two minutes, before the hat screamed at last: "_SLYTHERIN!"_

Albus Dumbledore became more and more anxious, and his frown more noticeable, when the Lightnings welcomed their friend in the same manner as Blade. His thoughts were interrupted when a dreamy blond took a step, waiting to be sorted, and Albus set the hat on her head.

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat chanted a short time later, and he felt a little wave of relief.

Echo took a step, and taking the hat from Frosty´s hands, placed it in his head, sending a glare to the Headmaster

"_GRYFFINDOR!" _the hat screamed after a while.

Wind was next, and after Echo sat the hat on her head, she smiled at him. "RAVENCLAW!" the hat said. Wind took off the hat and smiling, passed it to Flame, who had been standing impatiently. You could tell by an odd glow around her hands that she was tempted to let them catch fire again. She placed the sorting hat on her head, and it screamed a moment later, "_HUFFLEPUFF!_"

Flame smiled, and gave the hat to her boyfriend, who winked at her and placed it on his head. His sorting was certainly the longest, and if you asked him later, he would say the hat said something between the lines of '_Brave, wise, ambitious and loyal, and certainly powerful but your braveness and nobleness certainly are your most defining characteristics.'_

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Nightmare's lips turned upwards, and then briefly turned downwards, as if he wasn't sure whether to be happy or sad.

Albus Dumbledore frowned once again, now, with Harry Potter in Gryffindor, it would be more difficult to keep the Lightnings away from Charles Potter and friends.

Behind him, Fawkes trilled sadly and quietly at his master, knowing the pain that Dumbledore was causing to all those of the light.

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><p><strong>Author Note:<strong>

**Ok, as you see, this chapter was only edited. It´s ceirtainly diferent, but not so diferent like the last one. (And even the last was only slightly different.)**

**And, I kept my promise to update everyday if it was an only-edited chapter! YAY!**

**I want to thank all of the readers who have stayed with me since the start, and the onces who already start and those who help me keep updating, and having inspiration!**

**I´ve put a list of some of the reviewers, favorite story or author in the Profile. Please check it. I had written down each of them on my notebook, but my font isn´t very clear. If there´s some mistake, please tell me, and I will change it. If you did review, or push the favorite story or author button, but you don´t appear on the list, tell me anyway, and I´ll write you down. Thank you, wonderful people!**

**So, I´ll say goodbye until tomorrow! Adios!**

**Lily**


	3. Platform Goodbyes and Lessons again

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or its characters.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3.- Platform 9 ¾ and lessons.<strong>

The days passed with little interaction from Dumbledore and the Lightnings, who had been told the passwords to their respective common rooms, were sleeping two to a dormitory.

Most of them were sleeping in the same room, but in the case of Flame and Rock, who were sorted to the same house, also separated in the boy´s or girl´s dormitory. The Lightnings ate in the kitchen, which Flame and Rock had discovered on one of their ventures through the castle, as the Hufflepuff common room was really close to it.

The start of term arrived finally, much to the professor´s relief, the tension between the new students and the Headmaster palpable.

.

On Platform 9 ¾, a couple bid farewell to their only son, only to be interrupted when the flashes of cameras went off, drawing the attention of the crowd.

Everybody turned their heads the way of the commotion, and having recognized the family, gasped. The Potters had arrived. Charles Potter in particular was standing proudly and arrogantly at the cameras, mimicking his parents.

James Potter turned to look at his son, and talked to him quietly, "You´ll be alright, Charles?" he said, his voice the quiet but powerful tone of one who was used to talk in a commanding manner.

Charles looked at his father with a smile and nodded.

"Dad, there isn't any need to worry, haven't I taken care of myself pretty well for the last three years?" he answered cheekily. Behind him, a glare was aimed at his back by his mother. Lily put her hand in his arm, a little more forcefully than she needed to.

"Now, Charles Sirius Potter, if your fourth year is like the others, I will take away your broom until you are of age," she scolded sternly. Lily took a deep breath before continuing, this time only talking in a soft murmur. "I don't know what it is about kids these times, thinking basilisks, dementors and You-Know-Who are just playground games."

James and Charles gasped when they heard the threat about Charles's broom being taken away, pointedly ignoring her latter statement.

"But, mum," Charles started. "I was only joking, you know I´m not that w-"

"Don't worry, son, I won't let her take it away."James grinned at his son, fully meaning his words. "Oh, and before I forget, there is going to be a surprise for all you this year."

Charles looked at his dad in suspicion. "What is it?"

James Potter laughed, winking at his son. "Can't tell you,"

Charles seemed to want to ask more, but was interrupted by the train's horn blaring.

Lily hugged her son fiercely, ignoring his attempts to get out of it. When she finally let him, James clapped him in the back.

"Take care, Charles," Lily whispered, and then breathed even more quietly, "Take care, Harry". Charles got in the train, only turning back to give a small wave to his parents.

Charles passed by each compartment, peeking in each one to try and find his friends. When he got to the end the train, he found his friends talking and smiling. Inside the compartment, were Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones. He was friends with Dean and Seamus, obviously, as they shared a dorm with him. His friendship with Hannah and Susan, however, was the result of the Chamber of Secrets in his second year.

Charles opened the door and entered the compartment causing the conversation to stop. His friends looked pleased to see him.

"Hey blokes, how was your holiday?" he asked, grinning, asking Dean and Seamus.

"Hi, Charles," answered Dean, while trying to finish a painting of Hogwarts. And then he gave up, unable to concentrate while making conversation. "It was good. Seamus and I visited each other a lot, while you were in France."

Charles nodded. He and his family had gone to France, because of a very elegant party they were asked to go.

"Hi, Hannah, Susan," he then said to the girls, a wide grin on his face. "Good break?"

"Hi Charles, and yes, they were great; Hannah went to my house and we had so much fun," Susan told him cheerfully. "How was yours?"

"Pretty good, thank you. Oh, and Dad told me about a surprise this year, but he wouldn't tell me what it was."

Dean frowned, and Hannah across from him played with a lock of her hair. Both had been through previous dangerous experiences and hoped the surprise wasn´t anything like that.

"Well," said Susan, "It better not be something risky. I don't think I can cope with another thing like the Chamber."

The other three teens nodded their heads seriously. Charles sat down between Dean and Seamus and crossed his arms thoughtfully.

"Anyone has an idea as for who will be the Defense against Dark Arts professor this year?"asked Charles, changing the tense topic to a lighter one.

Seamus shook his head "No, we don´t know who it could be."

"I'm certain of one thing, though. I'm going to miss Professor Lupin." Dean said rummaging through his bag for his Exploding Snap cards. "Anyone wants to play?" he asked, holding the cards up.

Everyone agreed to and so the rest of the ride was spent in a playful mood. The train was nearing Hogsmeade when the boys left the compartment, letting the girls change into their robes. Fifteen minutes later, the girls came out, and it was their turn. They arrived at Hogsmeade excitedly, following the path they had walked in for the last two years**, **and when arriving, they shared the carriage as usual.

After they arrived at the Great Hall, the five friends immediately walked to their usual spots at their respective tables; Gryffindor, for Dean, Seamus and Charles, and Hufflepuff for both Susan and Hannah. None of them noticed the new students that already were there, two at each table, looking incredibly bored.

Dean, Seamus and Charles were just initiating a conversation when the doors opened admitting Professor McGonagall, the first years trailing behind him. She went to the front, and got out a piece of parchment. The hat then started to sing:

_A thousand years or more ago,_

_When I was newly sewn,_

_There lived four wizards of renown,_

_Whose names are still well known:_

_Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,_

_Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,_

_Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,_

_Shrewd Slytherin, from fen._

_They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,_

_They hatched a daring plan_

_To educate young sorcerers_

_Thus Hogwarts School began._

_Now each of these four founders_

_formed their own house, for each_

_did value different virtues_

_in the ones they had to teach._

_By Gryffindor, the bravest were_

_Prized far beyond the rest;_

_For Ravenclaw, the cleverest_

_Would always be the best;_

_For Hufflepuff, hard workers were_

_Most worthy of admission;_

_And power-hungry Slytherin_

_Loved those of great ambition._

_While still alive they did divide_

_Their favorites from the throng,_

_Yet how to pick the worthy ones_

_When they were dead and gone?_

_'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,_

_He whipped me off his head_

_The founders put some brains in me_

_So I could choose instead!_

_Now slip me snug about your ears,_

_I've never yet been wrong,_

_I'll have a look inside your mind_

_And tell where you belong! _

The Hall erupted in applause and cheers at the hats song. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat to quiet them before talking to the first years.

"When I say your name, I want you to come here and I will place the hat in your head, to be sorted," she said to the first years.

.

Meanwhile, at the Gryffindor table, three boys were talking between themselves, their gazes on the new person in the staff that was sitting between Hagrid and Professor McGonagall.

"Who do you think she is?" Seamus asked curiously, craning his neck to get a better view.

"Don't know, but I really hope she is better than Lockhart," Dean answered. And Charles had to agreed, Gilderoy Lockhart had been more of a buffoon than a Professor. The boys' attention shifted as just then, 'Coleman, Layla' was sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Did you see?" a third year whispered to them, looking confused. "There are other new students than the first years."

And there where, Charles noticed. There were two in each house.

Charles turned to look at his friends, looks of confusion present on each face.

"Maybe Dumbledore will explain?" Dean said uncertainly. Charles turned to look at the sorting, lost in thought. However, he was snapped out of it when the hat finished, sending 'Wendell, Mark' into Gryffindor, causing the house to erupt in applause that was suited only to Gryffindors.

Albus Dumbledore went to his feet, and everybody quieted, anticipation in their faces. They all had noticed by then the new students, and hoped the Headmaster would explain.

"Welcome," he said, "to a new year in Hogwarts." he smiled at everyone, arms lifted in welcome.

"Now, tuck in!"

Charles exchanged a funny look with his friends, but it disappeared soon when the food appeared.

It was fried sausages, pork chops, steak and kidney pudding and a delicious piece of pumpkin pie later; when Charles said he was satisfied and was looking forward to climbing into bed. However, Dumbledore got to his feet again.

"Now that we are full, I will like to make an announcement." he said, twinkling eyes looking at all the houses. "First, I will like to welcome our new Defense Against Dark Arts teacher, Professor Guinevere Dilard."

The new professor stood up, and inclined her head slightly to the students. A smile graced her features.

Guinevere Dilard had pale ivory skin, and slightly wavy, long brunette hair rested in her shoulders. She didn´t look older than twenty. Charles could see some boys drooling while looking at her, and tried to stop gagging, though, to be honest, he knew the new Professor was gorgeous.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, and everyone turned their gazes from the new teacher to him.

"Also, the Quidditch season this year has been canceled," he stopped as some people protested, the more verbal being Oliver Wood, and the twins, Fred and George, who were shamelessly verbalizing their outraged opinions.

"What! No Quidditch? Are you MAD?" They chanted 'mad' a couple of times before they continued their yelling, which went on until their house started throwing what was left of the food on their plates at them. "Only asking," Both twins grinned.

Professor Dumbledore chuckled. "No, I´m not mad. Though, I do have a close friend who everyone calls Mad-" McGonagall cleared her throat, looking at him sternly. "Ah, yes, but now is not the time- where was I? Oh, yes. This year, we will celebrate the Triwizard Tournament, instead."

The students started whispering, some asking what the Tournament was, others explaining. That is, except the Lightnings, who were looking quite calm, as Dumbledore noticed. The Headmaster then looked in a grandfatherly way at Charles, and started talking again.

"However, a restriction is being placed. No underage witch or wizard can compete." Dumbledore´s voice rose slightly as some made noises of protest in response to his last words, especially the Weasley twins, who ironically now seemed really mad. "This is a restriction placed by the Ministry of Magic to decrease the changes of fatalities. Do not try to enter anyway, because you will not be able to fool our impartial judge." he told the students, eyes twinkling, especially as he looked at Fred and George, who only looked at each other mischievously.

"Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will arrive in October, and I expect you all to behave kindly when they are with us. Support your champion when he or she is elected, as the champion will be representing the school. Now, to bed! Remember there is a curfew, and not to go into the Forbidden Forest. Tomorrow, morning classes start, so it would be wise for you to be rested," the Headmaster spoke cheerfully, and all the students started making their way towards their respective Common Room. Charles followed his friends all the way out the Great Hall and once out, he spoke softly to Dean and Seamus.

"That's strange, Professor Dumbledore didn´t even mention the new students. I wonder who they are." Dean shrugged tiredly and Seamus looked at the various smiling paintings that were waving at and smiling when they three boys walked nearby them.

"Don't worry, Charles" he said, followed by a yawn. They walked up the stairs, completely used at seeing them change places. "I wonder sometimes why the common room is on the seven floor, you know. It's annoying to have to walk through all those staircases when it's late."

Charles and Seamus agreed completely, as they finally arrived to the Fat Lady´s portrait.

"Password?" she asked.

"Mobilis Teraqious," the new Prefect told her. The Fat Lady smiled and opened her portrait, revealing a comfy red and gold room. The trio immediately made their way to the fourth year boy's dormitory, and fell asleep when their heads touched their pillows, five minutes after they changed sleepily into their pajamas.

.

Charles awoke with a gasp, clasping a hand to his scar which had erupted into pain. He looked in alarm around him, not really recognizing his surroundings. It took a minute to do so and when he realized he was in his dormitory, he took a deep breath. He relaxed considerably, and closed his eyes. He had been having the same nightmare since the summer. The thing was, he couldn´t remember much of it. Only an old Muggle, a snake, the face of Peter Pettigrew, and a green light were in his memories.

Charles sighed. Now that he was awake, it would be impossible going back to sleep. Resigned to spending the rest of his night awake, he took a book out of his trunk, and walked out of the room, nearly tripping over a pair of socks that, in the dim light, he guessed were Dean's. He tiptoed down the stairs so he wouldn't wake up anybody else and walked over to a comfy looking armchair in front of the fireplace and sat, opening his book. Charles was so immersed in his book, _Curses and Counter curses (Bewitch your friends and befuddle your enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jolly-Legs, Tongue-Tying, and Much, Much More) _by Professor Viridian_, _that he didn´t even notice someone walking down the stairs until he spoke.

"You do know it is two in the morning, don't you?" It was a voice he didn´t recognize, so Charles looked up. Sitting there, looking quite calm was a carbon copy of his dad, but with the emerald eyes of his mother. Charles looked at him in shock.

"Who are you?" he asked: his voice weak. The boy smiled.

"So Lily and James Potter didn´t told their 'only son', the Boy-Who-Lived, about me?" he muttered quietly. "I am Nightmare of Midnight, and leader of the Lightnings."

Charles stayed quiet, confused, and shook his head.

"Well, since they didn´t told you about me, I will. You can call me 'Big brother Harry' as my name was once Harry James Potter. I'm your twin." he finished, a grimace on his tone. Harry turned to look at the fire.

Charles nearly fell from his armchair in shock, and, although he didn´t, but the numbness in his hand did made him drop his book. He didn´t bother to pick it up.

"B-b-bro- brother?" he asked, reminding himself of Professor Quirrell, back in his first year. With a deep breath, he regained his composure "I have a twin? That's impossible! I can´t have a brother, and definitely not a twin!" Harry nodded his head, looking slightly uncomfortable. Charles ignored this, and started laughing.

"You have to be wrong, I can't have a twin." He shook his head, still laughing, but stopped when Harry, no, Nightmare turned his head, his face not looking pleased in the slightest degree. Charles felt his smile fade.

"What's wrong?" he said, frowning in concern.

Nightmare shook his head. "_What's wrong?_ The fact that I am the twin of The-Boy-Who-Lived, who was neglected by Lily and James Potter, in favor of you! Anyway, I am your twin, unfortunately, don't you see I am a copy of James, and have Lily's eyes?"

Charles titled his head to the side, and thought about it. His parents, the ones who spoiled him, and loved him neglected his older brother, his twin, or so this 'Nightmare' said. That didn´t seem right. And Charles knew they would have told him about his twin, or why he wasn´t with them.

Charles looked at Nightmare, completely sure that he was lying, that his loving parents were the best, but as he saw the emerald eyes, so alike to his mothers, filled with truth, he began to doubt it.

"If you are my supposed twin, then where you were?" he asked, curiosity in his voice.

Nightmare looked at the fire, captivated by the flames that danced on the wood. "I don´t see why that´s any of your business." He turned to look at Charles, face illuminated by the flames in the fireplace.

"I understand, I think. I'm just going to bed again. Thanks for telling me the truth," he said truthfully, and climbed up the stairs. He looked back to see that the other boy hadn´t moved in the slightest and was still watching him in puzzlement.

With a sigh, Charles got into his bed, hoping to get at least some sleep.

.

The morning came and Charles got out of bed, his efforts at getting ready for breakfast speeding up after he noticed that he had overslept. He tried to wake up Dean and Seamus, and after some failed attempts, resorted to a simple "Aguamenti," a spell he knew because of his Dad. After a meeting with Peeves, who tried to throw at them globes filled with water, Dean, Seamus and Charles arrived to the Great Hall panting. They pushed the grand doors open to the sight of many students turning to see who had arrived so late. One of those who were looking was Nightmare, who was taking the job of watching Charles Potter closely after their early morning talk.

It had surprised him, the way his twin had talked to him. _'Maybe we were wrong. Maybe Charles is less arrogant and attention-seeking than we thought at first,'_ he thought while loading his plate with some toast, bacon and eggs and losing himself between those lines of thinking.

"Nightmare," someone said, interrupting his thoughts. He turned his head towards the voice. It was Echo, who was looking in a concerned manner at his plate, his own already empty, Nightmare noticed with amusement. "Why are you putting orange juice on your toast?"

Nightmare turned to his hands and noticed that Echo was right. He shook his head before replying in his usual strong voice, "Don´t worry, Echo, I was in the moon. Something happened last night that made me have to think."

Echo nodded, and Nightmare noticed his concern was still there, but he knew that Echo could tell that he wasn't going to get any more information.

"I wrote Eagle yesterday," Nightmare told him, changing the topic. "He said he´s going to send then today, so that we know what to expect. Tell the others."

Echo mock-saluted his leader, who smiled in return, and said in a serious voice, "Sir, yes, sir!" and then, smiling, stood up from his table and made his way towards his fellow-Lightnings, who looked at him questioningly.

Nightmare turned his gaze from Echo talking to various members of the Lightnings to his brother again, ignoring the fact that he had noticed that Dumbledore was looking at him. It wouldn't do good to show the Headmaster that he knew that - Nightmare had the strong suspicion that Dumbledore knew who he was since the start.

All the Lightnings were ready, though the others of the hall were shocked, for when a beautiful Snowy Owl flew through an opened window carrying a cage, with the rest of the owl post. It was common knowledge than a Snowy Owl did not originate from the region, and because of that, extremely difficult to have one. The students wondered whose owl it was.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" exclaimed one second year girl, pointing at the owl and 'oohing' with her friend.

The hall soon returned to normality after the owl stopped in front of Nightmare, who gave her some food before untying a letter from her leg. The owl hooted in delight at Nightmare, and started nibbling the food that he had given her. Nightmare started reading the note. It said:

_Respectable Supreme Leader (I am only joking, I know how much you hate being called like that),_

_I am writing only to tell you I have your familiars ready. The Snowy Owl in front of you is, well, yours. Her name is Hedwig (A name I think I read somewhere, she just loved it). I sent Echo a surprise... Alright, don't tell him, but I sent him this cool mini horse. It's as small as a chess piece, a thing that I find amusing, since Echo loves playing chess. Well, it's named Equoanimo._

_For Flame, I sent her a Phoenix-owl crossbreed. I know it's a bit strange, but it fits, you know? Anyway, her Owl-Phoenix doesn´t neither have healing powers nor can him flame-travel, but he still can breathe fire, if you are wondering, but I find it fascinating. His name is Torrens._

_Next is Wind. I sent her a beautiful Barn Owl. She is quite intelligent too, and I called her Ability (Though she seems to like 'Abby' more than the full name)_

_I can't imagine Frosty ever settling for just one familiar, so tell her there are Thestrals in the Forbidden Forest and that my friend Hagrid can take her there. Just tell her not to say anything important to him, he´s one of Dumbledore´s pawns._

_I got Blade a cat. Well, he´s part Kneazle, and you know how they are. I was, actually, in Diagon Alley when I got him. Poor thing, nobody wanted to adopt him. Anyway, his name is Crookshanks._

_I must admit, getting Rock and Shock an animal was way more difficult. But nothing´s better for Rocky than another cat, his name is Lignuarcus. (Lign: Leeh-gee-n for short)._

_Getting an animal for Shock was more difficult than Rock´s. I finally decided in a common muggle one. My favorite, the Eagle. This one is gorgeous, and don´t worry, I´ve trained her. (She could deliver letters, in desperate times, but I wouldn´t recommend him to use her that way always.) Anyway, her name is Archer._

_Everything is well here, so don´t worry._

_Eagle._

_PS. Shade, Light, Moon, and Ivy send their 'hello'._

Nightmare nearly burst out laughing when he finished reading Eagle´s letter. He, as Eagle´s leader, knew she would never change. Nightmare placed the letter in his schoolbag, and then lifted his gaze just in time to see Professor McGonagall walking besides the table delivering the timetables to their respective owners, and Echo making rapidly his way to his place next to Nightmare.

"So, Echo, what lessons do we have today?" Nightmare asked while checking his timetable and absently noticing Echo reading his own.

"I have Defense against Dark Arts, History of Magic, Transfiguration and Potions." Echo said, setting his piece of parchment down in the table and not surprising, taking some toast.

"I hope Rock´s in the same Herbology lesson." Nightmare said, looking at his wrist where an old-looking clock was. "I think it's better if we get going, Defense against the Dark Arts lessons starts soon."

After Echo agreed, the two made their way to the hallway and took the path to Professor Dilard´s classroom. They arrived soon after, and sat down in a pair of seats close to the back. A few moments passed before their professor, Guinevere Dilard, entered the classroom and walked towards her desk.

"Good morning, class. I'm Professor Dilard, and I would like to welcome you to your fourth year of Defense against the Dark Arts." She stopped to take a deep breath before continuing, her eyes passing over each of the students. "Now, I´ve heard that your first two Professors did not teach you very well, and while the third was good, I still have a lot of work to do: Hexes, Counter Curses..."

While the Professor explained what she would to teach them throughout the year, the two Lightnings that were in the classroom talked quietly.

"So, Nightmare, what happened last night?" Echo asked. Nightmare had a lot of friends, though he was leader of most of them, but he had always been closer to Echo, Wind, and Flame.

Nightmare shook his head and looked at the professor, pretending to listen to her. "I talked with my brother, that's all."

Echo studied his friend closely. Nightmare looked at his friend in return, slightly confused.

"So if it was just another little family reunion, why do you seem so lost?"

Nightmare opened his mouth to answer, but another voice interrupted. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, please pay attention," the Professor said, staring at them sternly. "That's five points from Gryffindor. Now, as I was saying, today we are viewing hexes..."

The day the Lightnings had arrived at Hogwarts, they had agreed with the Professors to be called by their true name, as it would be strange to be called 'Mr. Nightmare' or 'Miss Frosty'.

Echo and Nightmare focused their attention again to the Professor, but not before Nightmare passed Echo a piece of parchment.

Echo took the paper and opened it while the Professor talked. "A hex is a type of spell that is typically meant to cause a certain degree of pain and discomfort," she said. "Hexes are considered by some as a minor kind of Dark Magic, darker than a jinx but not as dark as a curse. A hex can be used for defense." Echo read the note and then placed it down in his table. He nodded at his friend to show his agreement and focused back to the lesson. The piece of parchment had written in a messy script: 'I'll tell you later, with the others. Things are more complicated than before.'

"Does anybody have any questions about that? No? Well, who can tell me one hex?" the Professor asked while she pointed her wand at the board behind her, a murmured spell causing lines to appear, the lines forming into the shape of a word: Hexes.

A boy whose name they didn´t know lifted his hand. Nightmare recognized him as one of his brother's friends.

"Mr. Thomas?" Professor Dilard asked him.

Dean Thomas looked at the Professor briefly before answering. "There's the Bat-Bogey Hex, I think, ma'am."

Professor Dilard nodded her head, and with a flick of her wand the hex name appeared in the board. She had begun to explain the Bat-Bogey Hex when the bell chime sounded, signaling the end of the class. The students instantly began gathering their things.

"Now, I am not teaching you how to do a hex. I am very sure that most of you know how to make a lot of them, because of duels, or maybe your parents taught you." the Professor said to the students as they left the classroom, and outside, Echo and Nightmare parted towards the grounds. Once Nightmare and Echo were in the correct place – Greenhouse number four – he met with Rock, who indeed had the class at the same time. Sitting one next to the other, near to the door, they waited for Professor Sprout to arrive. And she arrived, a few minutes later, announcing they were going to view Healing plants.

The rest of the class passed, and soon, all the Lightnings made their way towards the lake, where they had agreed to meet.

Nightmare told them about Eagle's letter, and then passed it to them, so that they could read it.

Everyone was happy with Eagle's selection, and Frosty was excited to meet the Thestrals.

"Now, in other matters, I met my twin last night and-" Nightmare paused for a moment, and everyone waited. Flame took his hand, and he smiled at her. "I don't think he's as bad as we thought."

Most of the Lightnings were reluctant to believe him, while Blade and Shock protested loudly.

"You don't expect us to be friends with him, do you?" Tornado asked him, crossing his arms, and Blade agreed with him.

Nightmare shook his head at them, "No, I don't," he said and decided to change the topic. "I want us to not be seen together, Dumbledore could get suspicious and we need a reunion point, somewhere we can meet without the Headmaster discovering. Try to find a place – but first let's just get to lunch, okay?"

Everyone agreed and they walked to the Great Hall to eat lunch and continue their day, unaware of the pair of eyes that was watching them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN.<strong>

**Hey, guys!**

**I realize this was up a little late. I am sorry, I couldn´t get in before, but, as in my time its 9:47, I am still on today's limit. I promise I will never get this late from now. Also, I have one surprise for all of you. Its a surprise, so I wont tell you, but lets say, I wwrote a special, extra chapter. I will post it soon! I hope you enjoy the changes so far! **

**And, If you could tell me if you think is better, or worse, I would be really grateful. So, readers, please, REVIEW!**

**Thank you, you are the best.**

**Lily**


	4. A very Stormy meeting!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or its characters.**

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><p><strong>Chapter x. - A very stormy meeting!<strong>

Wind pulled tighter her cloak around herself, trying to keep warm in such cold places. It wasn´t only a bit of rain – no, it nearly seemed as though the sky was going to fall, in the form of what we normally call rain.

"Why did Nightmare had to ask me to do this now?" she muttered quietly to herself, her voice still that of a child.

It had only been two years since Nightmare of Midnight had rescued from the orphanage, and at eight years old, Wind still possessed some of a little girl.

She stopped in front of a shop, and abstinently checked her reflection on the glass. She saw a girl, with wild brown hair, and brown eyes; her complexion pale. She wondered if she had stayed too much time in the cold, when she saw her cheeks were tinted with red.

And, of course – she was soaking wet.

Sighing, Wind continued with her task. She would deal with her friend´s ideas later. Right now, she needed to check a suspicious location, where Death Eaters were supposedly been sighted.

They reason of why would Nightmare send her instead of one of her friends, she would never know.

Wind entered cautiously an abandoned building, frowning when she didn´t see anything. _All that coldness for nothing_; she thought bitterly. _Oh, Night, wait until I get my hands on you. You´ll be so –_

CLUNCK!

Wind frowned again. What _was that? _Or, more correctly,_ who _was that?

"Who is there?" she asked quietly. Wind didn't exactly expect an answer, so she was surprised when a child's voice sounded, rebounding on the building's walls.

"No one." Wind narrowed her eyes, and then rolled them in irritation.

_Yes, no-one. And then, who answered? Marie Antoinette? As if!_

"I know you are there!" she exclaimed. Her mind was telling her this was unwise, but her heart told her to stay. And for once, she followed her heart. "Come on, show yourself!"

"Why do you want to see me?" the kid answered, his voice confused. "No-one w-wants t-too see m-e in ho-home."

Wind took a step towards the voice. Clearly, she thought, the voice was coming from a kid, like herself. A kid in problems, like she had been, once. She groaned. Wonderful. Why couldn´t have Nightmare came with her? He was better with those things than she was. He was able to use his heart more than she did. She normally thought, not felt.

"Look, I'm Wind," she said carefully. "Wind of Lightning. What's your name?"

By this time, Wind was so close to the boy, she could almost see his silvery-blonde hair, and pale skin. He was sitting, and had his knees pulled to his chest.

"Wind of Lightning," he repeated, and Wind caught the smirk on the tone of his voice. "That's a weird name."

Wind smiled.

"Well, it's not actually my name," she explained.

The boy stood up slowly up slowly and made his way towards her. She could now see his eyes. They were a clear blue color, and Wind frowned when she saw they were hidden fear beneath a shaking mask.

"Then, what's your real name?" he asked, intrigued.

"My name's Hermione Granger," she told him with a grimace at her old name. She liked the name Hermione. She really did. But Granger just made her remember so many things she didn't want to remember. "What's yours?"

The kid dropped his eyes, suddenly interested in the dirty floor.

"Draco," he whispered, and Wind had to step closer to him to understand him. "Draco Malfoy. I don't like it tough; do you like your family?"

"I haven't seen my family in years," she confided in him.

Draco looked at her in surprise. "Oh! Why?"

"They didn't like me very much," she said sadly. She missed her parents, sometimes. She could remember her life before her magic was discovered, and it had been great.

Draco frowned. "Why didn't they like you?"

Wind shuddered. "I guess they didn't like I have magic."

She said it very quickly, and then realized what she had said.

"Oh, no," she said, preoccupied. "I didn't really mean it. I mean, magic? How ridiculous. How could I have magic? It's impossible-"

"Wait," he stopped her, and looked at her in curiosity. "You have magic too?

Wind stopped hyperventilating when she heard that, and looked at his new friend in surprise.

"_Too?_" she repeated, half-asking. "You're a wizard?"

Draco nodded.

Wind smiled widely, and clapped her hands in happiness. "Great! I was worrying I'd had to leave you here, you know. Now, I can take you to Night, and he can explain all to you, and welcome you into the group, and then meet the other Lightnings, and then you would never need your family again – trust me, it's wonderful," she said all of that very quickly. Draco nearly didn't understand her.

"Lightnings?" he asked the first thing on his mind. "What's that?"

"Oh, I can't wait!" Wind said excitedly, ignoring his question, and pulling him towards the door. "Come on, Draco, come with me. Oh, everybody is going to be so surprised when I introduce you. I mean, after Frosty arrived last December, we didn't realize we would have another member.

Oh, this is so exciting!"

And so, she pulled a very confused Draco towards the way she had come from.

"Come on, Draco, come on," she urged him.

"But where are we going?" Draco asked, nearly crying in frustration.

"_WAIT!_" Tornado exclaimed, looking at Wind as she recounted their meeting all those years ago. They were all hanging out in the Headquarters, sharing stories from when they meet, and such. It was the time they saved for bonding with each others.

"I did NOT cry!" his statement was followed by laughs from all the other Lightnings. "I _didn't _laugh!" he repeated, irritated that his friends where laughing at him.

"Yes, you did," Wind said, between laughs.

"No, I didn't!" he said again, crossing his arms, and pouting.

This only made the rest laugh harder.

"Okay," Nightmare said, trying to stop the laughter. "What happened then, Wind?"

"Well," Wind said, twirling a lock of hair on her fingers, and looking smug. "I continued ignoring him until we arrived here, and you all know what happened."

"Yeah," remembered Echo, smirking. "Two figures; Wind and Tornado, arrived at the Headquarters for the Lightnings, where every single member got confused at the arriving of not only Wind, who Nightmare had sent to a mission that day, but that prat, too." He said, pointing at Tornado.

"Hey!"

"And Draco Malfoy disappeared forever," Flame grinned.

"And Tornado of Lightning was born."

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR NOTE.<strong>

**Tornado and Wind's meeting! _THAT_'s your surprise!  
><strong>

**Here it is! Finally! Someone had asked me to write the character's backgrounds, and here it is!**

**But, its only Tornado and Wind's meeting right now. Later, when I got more time, I may write about the rest.**

**So? What do you think of it? Tell me, please, I love to hear your opinions.**

**Oh, and happy King's day!  
><strong>

**Lily  
><strong>


	5. A Nightmare again

******Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or it's characters.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: A Nightmare again<strong>

Charles Potter got into his bed, glancing nervously at the one where the wizard called Nightmare slept. After a sigh, Charles closed the curtains around his four-poster bed, and his eyelids closed rapidly.

He dreamed about a house, the same he had been dreaming for the last weeks, and it was really terrifying. It wasn't really the house itself, but the feeling that it gave, like, better 'stay away'. Footsteps were heard, and an old man walked, getting near the house. The man got out some keys that were in one of his pockets, and tried them in the door. After some failed attempts, he finally got the right one. Murmuring about immature kids, he opened the door, and walked inside.

Charles watched the man walk up the stairs, and watched horrified as he stopped right outside the door when he heard voices - voices older than the old man had thought it would be – but Charles _had heard _that voice before. It belonged to Charles nemesis, Lord Voldemort.

The conversation, he could not hear well, but he recognized Wormtail's voice, and the one of a woman, which he had heard before, but didn't know where. And then, Charles heard something. Something that made his blood freeze. And it was Voldemort mentioning a plan to capture someone. And that someone has Charles!

Charles awoke, breathing heavily, and trying to sooth with his hand the pain in his scar. Charles sighed, for the second time that night, and opened his eyes, discovering he had been trashing in his sleep - something that was totally understandable, Charles thought, under the circumstances.

The pain in his scar disappeared, and he tried to get out of bed without waking up his room-mates. Once he was out he noticed in the clock on Dean's table that it was nearly four o' clock. With heavy steps, he took the way to the bathroom, knowing he wasn't going to be able to get any sleep after the terrifying nightmare he had. He took a bath, and once he was dressed, took a look of himself at the mirror.

Looking at him was a carbon copy of his father - James Potter - with the only difference being the lightning bolt shaped scar. Oh, how much Charles hated that scar!

When Charles was a baby, more specifically a one-year old, the wizard who called himself Lord Voldemort had attacked the Potters. The reason? Unknown, but everyone knew the younger twin who had saved them all, when the curse reflected into the caster, destroying the house. But a destroyed house was not the only thing the Potters lost. Minutes earlier, the Potter children's grandfather had given his life for them, as he had been babysitting them, their own parents being away in a Order of the Phoenix meeting. James had been really affected by it, as his mom had died just the year before. That's not all, because in the younger twin's forehead was a scar - a scar that would mark him for life.

A few years later, Harry Potter, the older twin, had left the house - but nobody had noticed, as they had all been spoiling The-Boy-Who-Lived.  
>Charles did miss his brother, at first, and couldn't figure why he had left. Then, time passed, and Charles, like everyone else, forgot about him.<br>Charles looked at himself in the mirror again, after closing his eyes for a moment and taking big breaths, and decided not to forget Harry that time. It was a new day, and everything would go okay.

But it was nearly at the end of the day when Charles found himself in a problem, while getting out of the Transfiguration's classroom. He had been walking, not really paying attention to his surroundings, and Dean and Seamus were walking much faster to him, engrossed in an argument about if Quidditch was better than Football or not, when Charles suddenly bumped into someone – and that someone was one of his brother's friends: Tornado.

.

Tornado lifted his head to see who had bumped into him, and saw one of the people he never wanted to meet: Charles Potter.

"What do you want, Potter" he sneered.

Hands trembling, Charles got up. Once he was standing, he answered, but not as cheekily as Tornado had thought he would.

"I am sorry, I didn't see-" he started, but Tornado interrupted him.

"Well, that's obvious."

Charles frowned, and started getting away, nearly tripping when he passed Tornado.

"Oh, and Potter," the Lightning started. "I don't care who you are, if something happens, I will not restrain myself, and I don't care if your Nightmare's twin or The-Boy-Who-Lived, ok?"

.

Charles nodded, now his nervousness turning to anger. He had been meaning to make a good impression on his brother's friends, but that was clearly impossible. Still frowning, he ran all the way, trying to catch with his own friends, who had noticed nothing. With a sigh, he walked to the Great Hall, its splendor still amazing, even for him, who came from a magical home.

As Dean and Seamus poured food into their plates, Charles turned his head slightly to see his twin, and when he didn't make any signal to notice his gaze, Charles shook his head.

Dean must have noticed, thought, because he sent him a concerned look.

"Are you alright, Charles?" he asked him, his voice slightly quieter, because of the loud noise of the students arriving for lunch.

Charles looked at him and answered truthfully. "I will be."

Dean assented, and when he thought Charles couldn't see, he and Seamus exchanged glances. Charles inwardly sighed, he knew he was going to be asked a lot if he was alright or not.

With another look at Nightmare, Charles turned to the food, and started eating, and talked to his friends, trying to change the topic. "So, what do you think about the Triwizard Tournament?"

Seamus was the one to answer. "It's going to be so cool! It's bad they won't let us compete, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it is. But I guess it's for something. It must be highly dangerous." Dean said, and then took a piece of toast.

Charles agreed absently, his thoughts still in his twin, as they were two hours later when he got to bed and closed his eye-lids.

.

The Potters and their friends, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, had been talking about their adventures in Hogwarts – especially about the Marauders, in case of the three males in the room – when Charles's great horned owl flew through the opened window on the living room of Lily and James Potter. The room itself was spacious, and the decoration well-tasted: there were two big sofas forming a 'L', in the middle of the room was a coffee table, and many pictures of a redhead woman and two black haired men were in some pretty shelves that were floating magically near the soft-blue wall. Remus and Sirius were sitting in a sofa, while Lily and James were in the other.

Lily had instantly gotten up, when her eyes turned to the owl she knew so well, and walked towards it.

"Here, Robin." she said softly to the owl, and he extended his leg, allowing her to get the letter attached to it. Lily untied it rapidly, anxious to get news about her son after a week of waiting for them. After she untied the letter, she went immediately to her spot in the sofa again, Robin hooting in disapprove of her actions, before he left, the same way he had arrived.

Lily read the letter, aware of the three pair of eyes that were watching her, and once finished, the Marauders could see her skin a bit more reddish.

"He can't be serious!" she exclaimed, to the others confusion.

"Of course he can't be Sirius, I – " Sirius started saying, but stopped when he noticed Lily glaring at him.

"Don't you dare finishing that sentence, Sirius Orion Black!" she told him and he answered with a muttered "I shouldn't have told her my full name." and Remus rolled their eyes at him.

"What happened, Lily, dear," James asked, trying to calm his angry wife, and placing his left arm over her shoulders.

Lily sighed, and handed Remus the letter, which took it calmly, eyes shining with curiosity and started reading it aloud.

"_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_This first week has been... eventful. The first day, after we arrived, Dumbledore _("Professor Dumbledore" Lily muttered, still angry) _told us that the Triwizard Tournament is going to be held this year, and that the host will be Hogwarts! It's so exciting! Don't worry about me competing, though, kids younger than seventeen are not allowed to compete. But I guess you already knew that, with Dad working on the Ministry and all. _

_That's not all. There are new students. New students that are not in first grade: two of them are in third grade, and the rest six are in my year. More specifically, Nightmare is really one Harry James Potter. My long lost brother. Now, don't try to look innocent: I know you knew. Why didn't you tell me? Why keep me in the dark? _

_Anyway, I don't plan on making the same wrong choices as in the past, and I am planning on befriending him. Don't try to step in, please. Unfortunately, so far, there's no progress – I had a confrontation with one of his friends (Shock, I think he was named...) and he, well... he kind of threatened me. Don't worry, it wasn't that much of a threat, now I think about it... he just told me 'not to hurt Harry – I mean, Nightmare'._

_I think I'll try again tomorrow._

_Say hi to Moony and Padfoot from me – If they aren't there already!_

_Charles."_

Remus looked at Lily and asked what everyone in the room was thinking.

"I don't really understand what bothers you so much".

Lily looked exasperated at the three most important men in her life, and standing up again, she paced around the room.

"Well, I don't know, Remus. Maybe it was my son knowing the truth about his twin, or maybe it was his twin's friend threatening him!" Lily said sarcastically, not realizing her voice was getting louder.

James traded a look with Remus before speaking. "I know, and I am, myself, a bit angry because of the threat. But you have to admit, the truth about Harry, well... you know how Charles is, and with the Lightnings kids using their true names in school... it was bound to happen soon." his voice was angry too, but not as much as his wife, who was known to have a fiery temper.

Sirius, who had stayed silent since Lily glared at him, cleared his throat, and everyone turned their heads to look at him.

"I was just thinking, er – don't you think Charles is right about befriending Harry?" he said, looking guilty, but continued quickly before Lily could glare at him. "I mean, in the past we were wrong to ignore Harry. I feel bad about it, seeing as I am his Godfather –"

"Of course not!" James exclaimed, and looked at Sirius and Remus in the eye – as the later looked guilty too. "We talked to you about Charles being The-Boy-Who-Lived! Lily and I knew and felt it was better to be with him more! What if he doesn't survive? I wanted to know my son before he dies!"

"I understand, Prongs, but –"

"No, you don't understand! And we love Charles, it wasn't our fault Harry is always seeking attention!" Lily continued.

"But that's the point! Harry wasn't seeking attention! He was seeking love – love that we didn't give him!" Sirius told her, and was surprised to find himself standing.

Lily stood too and Remus and James decided to stop it before it turned to a fight.

"Sirius, I know that you are right, okay? You need to calm down; this is not going to help." Remus told Sirius, and made him sit down, and he did, his head in his hands.

James made his wife sit down, too, while he muttered comforting things in her ear.

When he was totally calm, Sirius stood up, and Remus did too.

"I am sorry, Lily, James, but we need to get going. We are going to visit Andromeda, and Moony is going to a job interview later." he said, walking towards the apparition spot, and then they could hear him, barely, say to Remus "Hey, Moony, maybe Nymphadora will want to go!"

"Stop it Sirius! She is much younger than me!" Remus answered before disappearing.

James chuckled quietly at his friend's antics before turning towards Lily.

"Are you okay?" he asked her softly.

Lily hesitated for a moment.

"I just don't know for how much time... It's just so unfair, James! Why did Albus make us do it these thirteen years ago? Why did we accept? I don't know if I can keep this act so much longer." she said, tears in her green eyes, but she didn't let them fall.

James hugged her, and Lily posed her head in his chest. "I know, love. And it pains me to fight Padfoot and Moony because of it, we are like brothers – but I am glad they will be there for him."

Lily nodded, the tears finally falling from her eyes. "I just want everything as it was before the attack."

James rested his head in her. "Me too, Lily. Me too".

Lily suddenly stood up, startling James.

"I need to answer Charles's letter!" she told him before she went through the door.

James laughed, and shaking his head, he muttered to himself "Yes, everything is going to be better."

* * *

><p><strong>Author note!<strong>

**Hi again, everybody! Aren't you lucky today? Two chapters! YAY!**

**Oh, I can't wait to show you the really new ones!**

**Until tomorrow,**

**Lily  
><strong>


	6. The Goblet of Fire

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or it's characters.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: The Goblet of Fire<strong>

There was a pleasant feeling of anticipation in the air, the 30th of October. As all the students have been told a week before, that day at 6 o' clock, the delegations from Drumstrang and Beauxbatons would arrive. The day passed very slowly, and nobody paid attention in class as they all were excited about meeting the foreign students. And, at last – thirty minutes before six o' clock – the students made their way to their common rooms, left their schoolbags and walked to the front of the castle, as they had been told previously.

There, the Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines, and there were seven for each house – Ravenclaw first, followed by Slytherin, then Hufflepuff, and finally, Gryffindor.

Professor McGonagall was sternly giving instructions to all the students who seemed untidy, frightening some of the younger students when she snapped at them, and nodding her head once she was pleased with them.

"Now, be quiet," she told them. "And first years in front… no pushing, please…"

As they waited, the ones who hadn't brought their cloaks with them started shivering. It was a cold night indeed, and some of the students were starting to get impatient. The majority, however, was still excitedly waiting. Charles Potter, as Nightmare discovered, was one of them, as he had been jumping like a mad kangaroo.

"Do you see Potter?" he asked Echo, making a small notion with his head towards his twin.

Echo did, and nearly laughed, earning himself a glare from his Head of House. "I can't believe he is really jumping."

Nightmare snorted. "I can."

"When do you think they are arriving?" Echo asked impatiently. "I am hungry."

Just then, a sixth year girl gasped. "I saw something!"

"Where?" many students asked, while looking in different directions for the something the girl had seen.

"There!" she said, pointing over the forest.

Something large was approaching, and some students were wondering aloud - "Are they broomsticks?", "No, it has to be a dragon!" and "I think it looks more like a kind of floating house."

And it was nearly right, for it was a horse-drawn carriage, a light purple elegant one. As it flew through the rest of the Forbidden Forest, many students expressed their awe.

"It's beautiful!" a first year exclaimed amazed.

But when the carriage landed with a horrible noise, many first years fell backwards, right into the second year students, who helped them into their feet.

Many people gasped when the doors opened. A tall woman – probably as tall as Rubeus Hagrid, the caretaker – had gotten out of it.

Nightmare turned to Echo and mouthed 'Half Giant, too', and his friend answered with a nod of his head.

The woman had olive-skinned face, black eyes, and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back in an elegant knob, and she was in a black satin dress, with beautiful opals that embellished the neck.

Dumbledore, who had now walked from the back where he had been, gave her his hand, which she took with a soft smile.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," the old Headmaster started. "Madame Maxime."

"Oui, Dumbly-dort," she told him, before she, and her students, who were by now out of the carriage, moved next to the Ravenclaws.

And so they stood, waiting patiently for Drumstrang, and the students were searching the sky again.

But they were wrong in thinking Drumstrang would be arriving in the same way as Beauxbatons, as a minute later they found out, someone else gasped.

"There! By the lake!" the third year who had gasped exclaimed, and everyone turned to look at the water where, indeed, was beginning to surface something, and the students wondered what it was.

"It's a mast!" Seamus muttered to Charles and Dean, and Nightmare and Echo rolled their eyes – that was obvious.

Slow and magnificent, a ship rose out of the water – it was slightly skeletal, and it kind of looked like one of those ghost pirates ships muggles made movies of. And then, suddenly the ship was completely out of the water, and it was gliding softly towards them – and then it stopped, the sound of an anchor splashing in the water startling some of the students.

Someone – Nightmare knew it was the Headmaster of the school – started disembarking. He wore sleek and silver robes that were made with what looked like a kind of fur.

Dumbledore stepped forward as the last of the student disembarked the ship (all wearing the same kind of robe made of fur, just shaggy and matted.)

"Dumbledore!" the Drumstang's headmaster said, walking towards Albus too. "How are you, good fellow?"

Dumbledore laughed, and the rest of the Hogwarts School looked amused at his antics.

"All right, old friend," he said cheerily. "I trust your journey went without any problem, Professor Karkaroff?"

"Any at all," said Karkaroff. "I suggest we all start heading to your castle – good old Hogwarts – Victor has a little cold. You don't mind, dear friend?"

"Not at all, Igor," assured Dumbledore. "We can start the feast as soon as you all are comfortable with your rooms."

Madam Maxime and Igor Karkaroff agreed, and soon, everyone was heading to the castle to enjoy a delicious fest – courtesy of the House Elves.

.

_"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!" _

Nightmare frowned at that. He really had a bad feeling about that tournament.

Inwardly knowing his friend would never think that feeling was right, he started loading his plate, and started eating, smiling with amusement when he noted Echo was already loading his second plate.

"What?" Echo asked defensively. "I told you I was hungry."

And then, finally, the end of the fest arrived, and Dumbledore got up, and smiled at them in a kind of Grandfatherly smile – or what it was supposed to be.

"It's time. The Triwizard Tournament is about to start," he started. "But before we bring in the impartial judge, I would like to say a few words."

Dumbledore stopped to take a look at everyone.

"_There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways… their magical prowess - their daring - their powers of deduction - and, of course, their ability to cope with danger." _

Every student seemed excited about the tasks, but somewhere scared too.

"There will be three champions; one for each school," said Dumbledore. "They will be awarded points, the winner, and the one with the most. The three champions will be chosen by an impartial judge: The Goblet of Fire."

The Goblet, once it was showed to everyone, was a simple wooden cup – had it not been by the blue flames dancing in the inside.

Nightmare turned his head to the Hufflepuff table and saw, as he expected, that Flame was looking particularly interested by the cup.

"Anyone by the age of seventeen that wishes to compete," Dumbledore told them. "Must write his name and school in a piece of parchment, and drop it in the goblet. Aspiring champions have only a day to submit their names, and tomorrow, Halloween's feast, the champions will be announced."

.

The Tournament was the most common topic of conversation, as many of the students were excited about this day – and whispers were heard everywhere.

"My parents told me all about it"

"I heard it is very dangerous -"

"I can't wait! I am so excited!"

The group known as the Lightnings, however, wasn't as excited as the rest of the students. It was, after all, protection to the castle the reason they were students in it, and, for much childish they seemed sometimes, they knew in which topics to be more mature than others – and the Triwizard Tournament was one of them.

Nightmare, particularly, was feeling oddly concerned for his younger twin, and, as he tried to console himself the morning of Halloween, he had good reason – for he had heard about all the Charles Potter Adventures.

However, the other Lightnings seemed to think differently, as Nightmare found out some hours later, when they had one of their usual 'Headquarters meetings'.

"Why do you suddenly care for Potter?" had asked Blade. Tornado and Echo agreed.

"I don't care!" Nightmare had exclaimed "I just have this feeling..."

Flame had frowned, clearly concerned for her boyfriend, but the others relaxed a little.

"I think Charles will be alright" Frosty had assured everyone, and Wind smiled at her for breaking the silence.

"Dumbledore wouldn't put his 'Golden Boy' in danger." spoke Rock, who had been quiet the whole reunion.

And then, minutes later, when they had all assured Nightmare that his feeling was wrong, they left each one to their own common houses.

But as they got ready for the fest, they didn't realize their leader was less than calmed... he was completely paranoid, just like Alastor Moody – an ex-auror who they had met years ago.

.

By the end of Halloween, Nightmare should have known it was too good to be truth, as once the Beauxbatons: Fleur Delacour; the Drumstrangs: Victor Krum; and Hogwarts's champion: Cedric Diggory; were announced, one more parchment erupted of the cup; just after the Goblet had turned red, and sparks showered out of it, surprising everyone for a fourth time. And e knew his feeling was right, and felt his heart drop, when he heard Dumbledore gravely say: "Charles Potter!"

.

'I knew it! I knew it!' thought desperately Nightmare as he turned to look meaningfully at his friends faces: they really seemed worried now. But the face that worried most Nightmare was not theirs, but Charles´s, and, as whispers and murmurs and theories began, he just knew his brother didn't put his name in the goblet at all.

Charles Potter just seemed lost, scared and shocked; and Nightmare, not for the first time, feared for his safety.

"Charles Potter!" Dumbledore roared grimly again (Potter was, after all, his most used pawn in defeating Voldemort), but Charles only started to move after his friends – Seamus and Dean – pushed him up and towards the furious headmaster.

Once his twin had disappeared through the door the other champions had passed through, Nightmare immediately stood and left the hall, as the rest of the students and his friends, who joined him a few moments later.

"I told you!" he muttered to them. "I knew something would happen, but this - "

The Lightnings seemed guilty – they had tried not to listen their leader's bad feeling, but they knew they were mostly right.

"We need to help him" whispered Flame, and all less Nightmare turned to look at her shocked. "I mean, Voldemort is after him, and the goblet – I mean, the fire… told me Charles wasn´t the one who put the parchment…"

"How could the fire tell you who it was?" asked Wind, who seemed particularly interested. "I mean, the parchment had name and school, and fire doesn´t have eyes…"

Flame rolled their eyes at them, but Nightmare understood.

"The fire didn't tell her exactly who the person who put in the name was, it told Flame some… characteristics and she knows it doesn't fit Charles."

Flame smiled at him. "Yes, the fire told me the levels of heat of the body, or in this case, the hand that put in the parchment – you know how there are people extremely hot? They could sleep in a snow bed and just make it water. Charles's body heat is not that extreme, but it has more heat than normal. The person who placed the name doesn't have the same heat."

Echo, Rock, Blade, Tornado and Frosty all looked understanding. "So that's why you always know it's me even if you're not looking!"

"Oh," said Wind thoughtful, and ignoring Echo's statement. "It would have to be someone from here. There's a traitor, obviously…"

"Yeah," Tornado agreed. "But who is it?"

"I don't know." Flame mumbled, and Nightmare shook his head at them when they turned to look at him hopefully (he had control too of the element of fire).

"I couldn´t know," he admitted. "As I have control over many elements, I really don't have all – I mean, Flame only has one element, so her capacity isn't full and she can control it fully (and that's why she 'talked' with the fire), but my capacity is full, and The powers I have are not as complete as the one a person has only. I don't know if you understand what I mean…"

"I do," told him Frosty, and everybody agreed. Then she turned to Flame. "I think you should stay in your ward, just in case you feel the person."

"I will," Flame promised, and Nightmare felt a little more assured, a little less worried. "But I still think we should help him. This Tournament is really horrible –"

"I agree with you," spoke Rock, and Blade agreed, somehow hesitant. "We are here to protect, and we should do that."

"Everyone wants to help him?" Nightmare asked.

"We do," said Flame and Rock immediately.

"Us too," told him Frosty and Wind.

"Okay," mumbled Tornado and Blade hesitantly.

Echo looked at him and said clearly: "When do we start?"

Nightmare looked at them all in pride and gratitude, and spoke: "First, lest go to sleep, its late."

And indeed, it was. The once full of students corridor was now deserted. They told each other goodnight and parted ways, each to his common room, for a long night without sleep.

.

A lot of noise, applauses and screaming met Charles's ears when the portrait opened to let him pass, and being dragged in to his common room didn't help his grim mood at all. He was in because someone wanted him dead, not to everyone amusement!

_"You should've told us you'd entered!" bellowed Fred Weasley; he looked half annoyed, half deeply impressed._

"Brilliant!" exclaimed another Gryffindor. "How did you do it?"

"I didn't do it!" Charles exclaimed. "I don't know how – I don't know what happened"

"They brought us food, Charles, let's go over there-"

_"I'm not hungry; I had enough at the feast -"_

But everyone still believed he had put his name in, everyone still asked him how he had tricked the age restriction.

"I didn't do it," he said exasperated, over and over again, "I don't know how it happened – I still don't get what just happened. Please, I want to sleep…"

And so, he pushed them all off, and climbed the stairs to the boys dormitory. He really hoped Dean and Seamus would believe him – they had to! Didn't they? He was their friend…

But as he passed the door to his dormitory and saw the faces his friends had, he knew they believed it all… 'They think he had put his name in that bloody cup, and that he had left them behind!' He thought grimly. Was anyone going to believe him?

.

'Was anyone going to believe him?' Charles thought again as he closed the curtains around his bed, now fully dressed with his night robes, and looking very defeated. He really had thought Dean and Seamus were going to believe him, but they didn't, as they had told him – and very bitterly -moments before. And now, as he determinedly tried to close his eyes, he realized he couldn't sleep; his mind full of the horrible events that had happened. He remembered clearly all that had happened after his name was announced, and now, more than ever he realized he needed someone who would listen to him, and would believe him. Someone he could confide in.

And the answer came to him almost as quickly as the question. He didn't want nor needed a parent, no; he needed –

"Harry," he whispered as he shook the boy's shoulder gently. "Harry, or Nightmare, or whatever you call yourself!"

Nightmare stirred, but then his breath slowed again, indicating he had fallen asleep again.

"Oh please," Charles whispered, his face wearing an expression between exasperation and amusement. "Just wake up. I need to talk to you about something."

"What happened?" Nightmare said sleepily as he opened his eyes, his gaze turning briefly to the empty bed that was Charles's. "What's up?"

Charles looked at his twin hopefully. "You don't believe that er – rubbish about me entering the tournament, do you?"

"Of course not," Nightmare said honestly. "Why would I?"

Charles turned to look at the bed post, embarrassed. Why had he asked Harry that? Well, maybe it was that Harry had been treated horribly by his family, Charles included.

"Everyone thinks so," he said quietly, as to not wake up their roommates. Even Dean and Seamus do."

Nightmare frowned. He could see that Charles's friends betrayal was really hurting him. "What they did was stupid. They are supposed to be your friends –"

"I know!" Charles exclaimed, before putting his hands over his mouth. "Oops…"

Nightmare chuckled quietly, surprised at how well he could be himself with his twin. Maybe it was a sibling thing…

"Maybe I have to start early," he said in thought. "Come, on, let's wake the others."

Charles didn't ask who the 'others' were; he knew Nightmare meant the other Lightnings.

And so, after many wake ups ("Why, by Merlin, did you had to wake me up!") and walking cautiously to a place Charles had suggested (the Room of Requirement), they were all seated in a comfortable room, not very unlike the Lightnings headquarters.

"So," started Echo. "Why did you wake us up?"

Nightmare sighed; Echo was going to be very moody because of their 'early' day.

"I want to start the training right now"

This caused quite the chaos. "Now, as in right now?" asked Wind, over all the shocked cries.

"Well, of course," Nightmare said, as if waking up at 2 o' clock and starting training was a common occurrence.

"But why now?"

"I just feel that something's coming. Something really big." His statement caused shivers on everyone's backs: the Lightnings because they really knew about his leader's feelings and Charles because something big and bad was frightening.

* * *

><p><strong>Author note!<strong>

**Hi, dear readers! Im sorry, I couldn't update yesterday - it was my Grandma's birthday, and I wasn't home all day. Sorry. So, today, I'll post two chapters, okay? To make up to you! Yay!**

**See ya!**

**Lily.**

**PS. Please, comment anytime, I don't mind it.** **In fact, It would be great to talk to someone - Im feeling lonely. Why do breaks have to exist? I want to go to school! XD**


	7. One known task, and one unexpected

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or its characters.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: The First Task<strong>

Several days had passed since Nightmare and Charles's night talk. The Lightnings had done everything they could to teach Charles every basic spell, jinx, charm or curses they knew, and he was progressing quickly. And it was a good thing they did, for one day Flame came running to them, entering the Room of Requirements.

"Acromantula!" she said at their hopeful expression. They clearly thought she had finally found who the 'mystery hand' was.

"What about them?" asked Tornado, curious as to why his friend was so agitated.

She looked at them with exasperation. "They are the first task. Well – a part of it, anyway. I heard Viktor Krum talking about it to Igor Karkaroff on my way here."

Blade frowned. "Why would Krum and Karkaroff know about it?"

"I guess that cheating is a tradition on the tournament," spoke Echo, looking slightly amused.

Charles looked at them with in fright.

"How in hell am I going to get rid of Acromantula?" he said, trying to sound braver than he felt. "And they are only a _part_ of it!"

"What do you think we are teaching you?" asked Wind rolling her eyes. "History?"

But Charles didn't feel totally reassured, even if he smiled with everyone else.

.

The first task was in one week, and the Lightnings had finished training Charles, who, although grateful, couldn't help but feel a bit worried.

"Nah," said Echo one time he had voiced his thoughts. "You'll do alright. We'll help"

How would they be helping in a task only for Champions, Charles didn't know – and that didn't make him feel less worried.

One day, when the Lightnings and Charles had been walking towards the Room of Requirement, the later bumped into Dean and Seamus (both have been ignoring Charles since the Goblet).

"Watch out!" exclaimed Seamus, before turning to look at the one that had bumped into them. "Oh, it's only you."

Charles felt a pang of hurt. "Yeah, it's me. Hi, by the way."

His hurt must have showed, because Nightmare got closer to him, and Flame touched his arm comfortingly.

"So," spoke Dean in a way that Charles felt, inexplicably, angry. "What are you doing with them?"

Charles looked at his friends sadly before turning to look slightly at his twin brother and his group.

"They are trying to help," he said quietly. "More than what you've done lately."

Both Dean and Seamus stood there, looking annoyed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you were supposed to be in my side!" Charles yelled, the anger he had felt getting the best of him. "You are my friends, and I know I would have been there for you."

Charles, Dean and Seamus glared at each other until they were interrupted.

"What's happening here?" asked Professor McGonagall, sounding strict. "Don't you have classes?"

"Yeah," said Rock. "We are going there now."

McGonagall nodded sternly. "Well, walk more quickly, please, you are blocking the corridor."

And it was true. They were being watched by students, whom in their confusion, were gossiping and murmuring about why that trio of best friends seemed to have been broken.

.

And finally, the day of the task arrived.

Charles had woken up very early, worried out of his mind. He had tried to remember everything the Lightnings had thought him, but found he could only remember '_Stupefy'_.

He warily got out of his bed, and turned to look longingly at Dean and Seamus's sleeping forms before changing in the robes he had previously prepared.

He checked to make sure Nightmare's bed was empty, before walking to the common room, and leaving it somberly. Charles had been told he had to be in the place of the task early, and that parents were going to watch – and he knew his were.

His mum had written the week before, telling Charles about it.

_Dear Charles, _it had said.

_What were you thinking, Charles Sirius! That Tournament is no game, and now you're in it!_

The calligraphy changed, it was now as messy as his, and Charles knew it was his Dad's.

_Don't worry, son. It will be alright, just concentrate, and you'll do well. We are going to Hogwarts that day, just in case._

Then it was his mother again.

_IF YOU DIE, CHARLES SIRIUS POTTER, I'LL KILL YOU!_

_Love,_

_Mum and Dad._

He had nearly laughed out loud with his mum's last sentence, but only had managed a weak smile.

Charles breathed more quickly as he discovered he nearly was there, and that he had been distracted by his thoughts. He then sighed: 'better finish it all quickly,' he thought before walking determinedly the last step towards the Headmaster, the Champions, the parents, and the first task of the worse competition he had been in.

.

And then, he was waiting, and something squirmed inside him. He felt anxious. He felt nauseated. And yet, he couldn't help but wish for something to happen. Anything. He felt sick when he realized he wanted the other champions hurt – only because he didn't feel brave enough.

And then, the door opened, but instead of being the guy who was to tell him when his turn was, he found himself looking at his brother.

"Harry!" he said bluntly, and his brother didn't say anything at the mention of his true name. "What are you doing here?"

Nightmare walked towards him, and looking at his brown eyes, he spoke. "It's time."

Charles felt his insides squirm again with nervousness. "Now?"

"Yes now," Nightmare said, without a bit of sarcasm, as he would usually have done. "Don't worry; we'll be watching – just in case."

Charles nodded, and then walked a few steps towards the door, before he stopped and turned to his brother, embracing him in a hug.

"I'm so sorry, Harry," he said, suppressing a sob, his brother yelping in surprise.

"For what?"

"I will always regret when I ignored you," said Charles, and stepped back, ending the hug. "Thank you for all your help. You have proven us all wrong."

Nightmare looked at him confused. "I did?"

Charles nodded seriously. "Yeah, you proved you were the best of us."

And then he turned and walked towards the door, closing it after him, and leaving there a very shocked Lightning.

Charles took a deep breath before approaching Professor Dilard, who was going to tell him about the task. The borders of the Forbidden Forest seemed deserted, but Charles felt he was being watched, and wondered briefly if the spectators were under some kind of concealment charm.

"Now, Mr. Potter," said the Professor in her usual strict voice. "In the forest you will find many creatures, but only one of them will have the piece that will tell you about the second task. Make your decisions wisely. Remember this: 227662688527."

Charles looked at her confused, but nodded anyway. What was that for?

"You will have to search for a clue to find the answer," she explained, and then looked at his eyes. "Good luck, Mr. Potter."

"Thank you." He said uncertainly, memorizing the long number, and then, entering the forest, at his Professor's signal.

'Here goes nothing,' he thought as he disappeared from everyone's view.

.

Charles walked in the forest, and he seemed lost.

Nightmare, under concealment charm walked beside him.

"We are here, we are watching," he whispered in his ear, causing Charles to jump. "Don't worry."

Charles nodded, his eyes wildly searching for his twin before walking again.

"Does anybody know where I am supposed to go?" he asked no one in particular.

"Not exactly," answered Frosty's dreamy voice. "But the first clue is on your left – the threstals are unusually impatient."

Charles turned immediately at his left, and then looked over everywhere. "But I can't see Threstals. What am I going to do?"

"Remember the things we told you?" Wind's voice said. "Try '_Accio'."_

"Accio clue!" Charles yelled as he turned to his left again. A single piece of parchment arrived to his waiting hand. He held it up and whispered '_lumus_'.

It said:

'_A large number you have been told,_

_Now match it with the ones below!'_

1 ... 2 ...3

... . .ABC DEF

4... 5 ...6

GHI .. JKL.. MNO

7... 8... 9

PQRS ..TUV ..WXYZ

0

"It's a kind of riddle!" exclaimed Wind's excited voice. "Here, give me that, I can answer –"

Charles felt the parchment sliding from his fingers, and listened to Wind's excited whispers.

"I think I know," said Wind again. "What was the number again, Charles?"

"Two, two, seven, six, six, two, six, eight, eight, five, two, and seven," Charles said for the seventh time.

"I think I got it," Wind said. "Its –"

"It's Acromantula," Flame's voice was heard. "I should've known."

"Er – Charles?" Echo's voice said. Charles ignored him.

"Acromantula! Oh, no!" he said in panic. "I thought it was some kind of joke or something. I can't remember how to –"

"Charles!" Echo tried again.

"Stop it, Echo, I am trying to think!"

"Potter, look at your right!" Echo yelled, and Charles turned to his right, were the centaurs were starting to appear.

"Run, Charles!" Nightmare's voice yelled. "Go towards Aragog. I know you've been there! Run!"

And he obliged, without realizing there was someone following him.

.

"Aragog?" he asked fearfully, as the giant spider appeared. "I need to talk to you!"

Aragog's eyes moved madly, making Charles wince.

"What do you want, human?" he asked, before something crossed its features. "You! You are that boy that came into my home a couple of years ago! I told you, my sons and daughters have not a restriction in eating someone but Hagrid!"

Charles took a step backwards. "I know! But I need the clue!"

"Ah, so you are one of those champions, then?" the Acromantula said. "There is it."

The giant spider pointed towards a tree, were many acromantulas had started to meet. Charles gulped.

"A-Accio clue!" he said for the second time that day, and a piece of parchment flew towards his hand. He barely saw its black cover before he placed it on his robe's pocket.

"Now, my sons and daughters!" roared Aragog, and every acromantula advanced over to Charles, who took another step back. And then, in little time all the acromantula were blocking the exits, and Charles thought about how this was the biggest problem he had been in all his life -

"_Aranea Clausus!_" someone shouted, and Charles nearly cried in relief. Nightmare was there.

"Are you alright?" asked Rock's voice while an invisible hand took his arm.

"I- I think s-so." Charles said weakly. "It's over, right? This task?"

"Yes, it is," Tornado's voice said. "Let's get you out of here."

And Charles walked over to the borders of the forest, where he saw that the concealment charms on the audience had been removed and everyone was applauding.

"I think you were the fastest," Nightmare said quietly.

But Charles was looking at the audience, where Dean and Seamus where, and they grinned sheepishly at him, but he shook his head. They were his friends, and friends stay with each other. He would stay with them.

.

After the task, Charles points had been revealed. Everyone had given him an eight or a nine – except Karkaroff, who gave him a five. Charles was okay with that, anyway. He had the best family and friends he could ask for.

"Charles!" had said a teary Lily as she hugged her son. "I was so afraid!"

Charles pushed her gently. "Mum! Not here!"

James chuckled, and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Well done, son. I am proud of you."

Lily stepped back, tears forgotten. "Well, I am not! What were you thinking! I am taking your broom –"

Charles gasped. "No, mum, please, don´t take my broom!"

"I don't care, Charles, I warned you."

But just before they left, Charles could see the wink his father gave him, and laughed quietly.

.

At the end of the week, four days since the first task, a letter arrived to Nightmare.

He read it gravely, in presence of every Lightning.

"_Dear Nightmare,_

_I am afraid to tell you that the last mission on the Quidditch world cup didn't go well. You will hear all of it tomorrow morning on the newspaper, but I got to warn you – it was a chaos._

_Death Eaters are starting to attack, and we, Midnights fear there is something else going on._

_You need to come back. We need your help._

_Sincerely,_

_The Midnights._

"What are we going to do?" asked Echo. "Are we leaving?"

Nightmare shook his head. "No, you and I aren't leaving."

"Then who is?" asked Flame.

Nightmare looked at two people in the room, who stepped forward.

"We are."

.

Every Lightning turned to look at the two, slightly worried about their fellow friends.

Flame turned to look at Nightmare, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Do we really have to do this?" she whispered, but everyone heard her anyway.

Nightmare nodded and locked eyes with her, and Flame noticed in his eyes that he wasn't that happy about it either.

"Yes, it's necessary that we take precautions," Nightmare said aloud, but then murmured under his breath. "And I don´t have any choice."

He didn´t see the worried glances his friends exchanged, because he closed his eyes, trying to find the reason as for why they had come to Hogwarts.

.

"The Yule Ball is approaching -a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above - although you may invite a younger student if you wish -"

Someone giggled, and Charles tried not to listen to them. He groaned as he knew who it had been. The girls were obviously excited about all this ball rubbish. The bad thing for the boys was, they were the ones that had to ask the girls, so it was easier for them to be happy. His head turned to the right, were the Gryffindor Lightnings were sitting, and glared at his brother when he realized he was chuckling silently. Of course, he had it easy, with a confidence around himself that he had surely gained from his leadership, and, Charles had to admit it, a more muscular body than his: he just had to ask the person he wanted to go with; that was, obviously, Flame of Lightning.

Charles had to hold a sight when he realized how difficult was going to be the next days, girls flirting with him and every other boy on the way to classes, Quidditch, and else...

He let his head fall to the table, just as his friend would see him do the next days.

"Why don´t you just ask her?" Nightmare asked him one day, seeing him watching a girl in the Great Hall.

"I- I can´t do it," Charles whispered, "What if I mess it all, and we can´t never be friends again?"

Nightmare nodded knowingly. "I know how you feel - I used to feel that way about Flame."

Charles looked at his twin with curiosity. "How did you -"

"I just did that, asked her," Nightmare laughed. "Someone told me she felt the same. And I know she does too," He nodded towards the girl Charles was looking at.

"Okay," Charles sighed, but got up from his seat. "Thanks Nightmare."

Nightmare patted his back, and nodded. "Just go."

And Charles obeyed, walking towards his objective.

"So?" Nightmare asked his twin that same night on the common room.

Charles smiled at him. "She said yes."

Nightmare smiled back at him, but his smile vanished when he heard his twin´s next question.

"So, where are Blade and Tornado?"

"We had a little trouble at the Quidditch world cup, as you know," Nightmare sighed. The Prophet definitely had been enjoying causing so many whispers. The paper had in the front page _'The Dark Mark was seen again'_, and Nightmare knew it was just a matter of time before his Midnights started snapping.

"Oh, so you sent them away to help?" Charles guessed, and turned to look at the fire after Nightmare answered, getting captivated by watching the wild flames dance.

Everyone was excited about the Ball, even if the boy's didn´t admit it. Nightmare waited calmly outside the Hufflepuff common room, for his date. And she was surely breath-taking. He walked towards her, and, conjured a white lily, which he gave to a blushing Flame; he took her hand, making a bow that made all the girls sigh.

"You look beautiful," He whispered, leading her towards the Great Hall.

"You look handsome yourself," Flame told him with a smile, as they waited outside the hall, hidden by the shadows.

They both certainly looked great, like one of those pictures of Greek gods and goddesses.

"Are we all going to enter at the same time?" Flame asked, not knowing if the boys had planned a grand entrance or not.

Nightmare grinned at her. "Of course, it will look stunning seeing us; boys enter with the most beautiful girls!"

Flame smiled as she felt her cheeks warm, and knew she was blushing.

"What´s up with you tonight?" she asked him, as he was being abnormally flirty the whole time.

"Nothing," Nightmare smiled. "I just decided to let go my Leader cover for tonight."

Flame grinned at him. "I am glad to hear that."

.

Everyone in the hall froze when the doors opened and the Lightnings entered.

They looked wonderful, full of power: Nightmare in the middle, hand-in-hand with Flame; Wind by Echo´s side, next to her, at the other side of the leader was Frosty, grabbing the arm of a shy, but happy and strong Colin Creevey; next to Echo was Rock, who had his arm around Hannah Abbot´s shoulders; and next to Frosty and Colin were Charles Potter, and his date, Susan Bones.

They all were dressed elegantly, the Lightnings in robes that matched their elements, except Nightmare, who went by a black one, with emerald lining, matching his eyes, the rest, in colors that went beautifully with their partners. The Lightnings girls wore long dresses that looked like the ones the Greek Goddesses used; the boys looking like Arthur Pendragon himself.

Nightmare grinned at Flame after a few minutes. "Do you think we´ve caused enough chaos?"

Flame laughed with him but then whispered at him. "Looks like I won, you owe me five galleons!"

Nightmare smiled at her. "Why did I ever go against you?"

Flame grinned at him. "Don't know. It's obvious I am the Queen of bets."

Nightmare laughed as they choose a table, and sat down, waiting for everyone to unfreeze.

"You know," Echo said after a few minutes. "The light side is extremely predictable."

Every Lightning laughed and nodded their agreement, except for the rest, who voiced their confusion.

"When they are shocked they just froze," Wind explained, placing a hand over her mouth when she let out a giggle.

"I wouldn´t have guessed they would be so shocked about how we look," Rock thought aloud.

"You are right," Nightmare chuckled. "They must be really superficial. We´ve just broke them."

And that comment had the table laughing, and chatting, like there was no Voldemort, no responsibilities, just them and the night. They danced with each girl, in case of the boys, and the girls danced with each boy.

That night it didn´t care the world that was waiting for them outside, just that it was Christmas, and they were with their true family, at least.

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR NOTE!<strong>

**We finally are were we started! Yes! I'll post Monday and Friday, every week. I guess, for you, it will not end on Thursday, :C **

**Next chapter is totally new, and, a bit more of the mystery of Lily and James is let out.**

** Have a nice night!**

**Lily.**


	8. Second task

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or its characters.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: Padfoot and Prongs.<strong>

"Charles," James Potter whispered in his mirror, Sirius Black right behind him. "Charles Potter", he tried again, and this time, a face appeared in the Mirror. Charles Potter looked at them tiredly, eyes nearly closing sleepily.

"Yes, Dad?" he asked groggily.

James shook his head disapprovingly. "You haven´t slept all night?"

"I – no, I haven't," Charles admitted.

"Charles," James said accusingly. "Tomorrow is the Second Task. You need your sleep."

And then, they were silent.

"Anyway," said Sirius, who had stayed quiet before. "Do you know what you are going to do in the task?"

Charles diverted his eyes from the mirror, and Sirius hit himself on the head. "You _don´t _know?"

James was looking at him worryingly.

"But you _do_ know what it is about, don´t you?" he asked, hopefully.

Charles nodded his head slowly. "Yes, I do. Or I think so..."

Sirius looked at him and asked, "What´s the clue?"

Charles disappeared for a moment from the mirror, and appeared after a minute with a piece of parchment in his hand.

He cleared his throat, and read it aloud for his Dad and Godfather.

"_Come; seek us where no one is around,_

_You always feel us; we freeze even the ground,_

_And while you search, keep this in mind,_

_Follow them right and you will find,_

_We´ve taken something that you´ll sorely miss,_

_Be prepared, it´s soul could be kissed,_

_An hour you have to look, _

_And find what we took,_

_But past an hour - the prospect´s black,_

_Too late, it's gone, it won´t come back."_

Then Charles threw away the paper in frustration. "Seriously, Dementors? Is that what is going to be in the Task? Has the world gone mad?" He asked, waving his arms wildly.

"I don´t think it's going to be really dementors," James chuckled at his son´s antics. "It probably will be an illusion or something like that."

"You really think so?" asked Charles hopefully.

Sirius and James nodded, and smiled slightly when Charles breathed in relief, before changing the subject, this time to one even graver.

"The Order has been discussing your participation in the Tournament," started James.

"You did?" Charles asked, "Did you found out who put my name on the cup?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, sorry, pup. We have an idea, obviously, but not the reason."

Charles frowned when they stopped talking. "So, are you telling me, or not?" he asked excitedly.

James sighed. "Charles, we think Voldemort is the one who wants you in, obviously, but we don´t know why he used this...method. You need to be extremely careful, of what you do – and _who_ you trust in."

Charles thought on what his father had said, before a horrible realization grow in his heart. "You think Harry did it, don´t you?"

James shifted guiltily, while Sirius glared at his back.

"I am not saying he _did_ it –"

"No, but you thought it!" Charles exclaimed, his face going red.

"Of course not, son, but –"

"No? You didn´t thought it even for a little moment?" Charles exclaimed, interrupting his father for the second time.

"You don´t understand, Charles –" James tried again.

"No, what I don´t understand is why you don´t like Harry! Do you like _me_ just because I am the boy-who-lived? Is that because it? You know what I know? That I would be at this moment like Harry is, if he had been the one who killed Voldemort" Charles exploded. "Tell me that you wouldn´t."

James said nothing.

"Exactly what I thought." Charles said, and hurt and angry he finished the conversation by powering off the mirror.

"Excellent, James." said Sirius, sarcastically, "Really tactful. Tell the boy you think his brother is the traitor, and that you wouldn´t love him if he wasn't famous."

James hung his head. "I didn´t mean it. Oh, Sirius, I really miss Harry."

Sirius laughed bitterly. "Yeah, you do. As if it was true."

"No, Sirius," James said, lifting his head. Sirius was surprised to see tears in his eyes. "I really do. Lily and I never told anyone about what Dumbledore made us do that day."

Sirius was confused and concerned for his friend. "What did he do?"

"He threatened us. He told us we needed to stop caring for Harry, as it was Charles who needed help." He snorted tearfully when he said help, "Lily and I didn´t want that, and we told him. But he said he would take Harry away, and we would never see him."

James shook his head, the tears finally making their way thought his face. "And so, we did what he wanted. We couldn´t – we didn't want to lose Harry, Sirius. But we did anyway. We failed him – we failed ourselves, and our promise to keep him home and safe."

Sirius placed a hand on James's shoulder. "Why didn´t you tell us?" he whispered, feeling sad as he hadn´t helped his friend.

"Because we couldn't" said a voice behind them, and they turned to see Lily on the doorway. She walked towards her husband, hugging him comfortingly. "We were very lonely and sad when Harry left. We wanted our baby, we wanted to find him, and make it up with him. Bud Dumbledore knew of our wishes, and stopped them. I´ve never felt so afraid in my life." Her voice broke slightly at the end.

But that triggered Sirius´s memory. He had heard Lily say that before. It had been that time, when no-one could find Charles anywhere. He gasped softly as he remembered he had been all the time in Albus Dumbledore´s office.

"_I´ve never felt so afraid in my life._" Lily had said the moment they knew were Charles was. At the moment, Sirius had thought it was because she was afraid to lose her precious "only" child, but now, he thought she was afraid to lose yet another child.

"That time," Sirius started, "the one in which Charles disappeared –"

Lily nodded slowly. "Yes. That was a warning."

"Oh, Prongs, Lily," Sirius said. "I am so sorry to have thought so badly of you. It's just; you treated Harry so badly... I didn´t know what to think."

"Don't worry Pad. We don´t blame you." James said, and he step aside to hug Sirius. "But, could you please keep an eye in him? On Harry? Please, Sirius, do for us what we can´t."

Sirius agreed. "I will."

.

Charles took a deep breath the next morning before the task. He was still angry at his father because of his assumptions of the tournament and Harry, and all the drama that really made him wishes he were not the boy-who-lived.

"Every champion must come at the third floor immediately." sounded Professor´s McGonagall's voice a few minutes before the task. The rest of the school was to stay at the Great Hall, where the professors had placed an enchantment on the walls – so that the students knew what was happening.

This did not help Charles´s nerves tough, he decided as he arrived to the mentioned floor. He had revised every spell and hex he knew, to pass this test. He had practiced every minute he had, his Patronus; until he were completely sure he had it right- with the help of his brother, obviously. Dean and Seamus were still hesitant to talk to him.

And he was still nervous.

He walked towards the group of people already in there, and saw that in the main corridor was waiting the Headmaster of each school, Professor McGonagall and Professor Dilard. He was really surprised to see them already there.

"Good, we all are here now," said Professor McGonagall when he entered the room. "The task will be explained by Professor Dilard. Now, if you excuse me, I need to go calm my house table."

And she was gone.

"Very well," said Professor Dilard in her usual half-gentle, half-stern voice, "This night, something was taken from you. Something that is very important to you. Now, the task is to find them, and take them safely to this corridor. The first one to come back with his goal is the one who gets the most points."

Cedric Diggory, Fleur Delacour and Victor Krum nodded. Charles followed their way, and agreed too.

"There´s going to enter one champion first," continued Professor Dumbledore. "Since the last time we had the older ones go first, now the younger is to go through the quest before the others."

Everyone looked at Charles, who sighed internally. He must have known this was going to happen!

He straightened his back, and walked to an old classroom his headmaster pointed, and just before entering, he got out his wand.

He started walking cautiously towards the room, the door closing slowly behind him.

"You only have one hour. Be careful" Dilard said, as the doors to the corridor finally closed.

Charles looked at every wall of the room, before getting sight of a big wooden door at the bottom of one of them.

He ran towards it, planning on opening and get to the real task. Imagine his surprise when he was transported to the Shrieking Shack, right after toughing the handle.

"Whoa," he exclaimed, surprised. This wasn´t on the task description!

He continued, though. He got up all the steps to the second floor, his wand at his side.

"Is someone in here?" he asked, and got no answer.

Determined, he went to that room in which he and his friends had caught Peter Pettigrew.

'Maybe there´s something there?' He thought.

He was surprised again when he saw Susan, floating unconscious in the middle of the room, dementors sliding around her.

Oh, how did they dare!

Furious, he thought of the time he had talked with his long-lost brother, as it was one of the most powerful memories he had.

"Expecto Patronum!" he shouted. Silvery, spectral mist emanated from the tip of his wand. He groaned a bit in frustration. He had never been able to form a corporeal Patronus. Everyone had seemed really impressed with his silver mist, but he wasn´t. Harry could form a corporeal one. A wolf Patronus. Why couldn't he, Charles, produce one too?

The Patronus made him feel lighter, and hopeful. The dementors fled way from him. He had no time to ponder why they were not affecting him like always.

Once he was sure the horrible creatures were far away from Susan, he ran to her, and, reached for her hand. He touched her, and she started going down. Once she was down, she opened her eyes.

"Charles?" she asked confused. "What are you doing here? And by the way, were we are?

"Shh," he hushed her, bringing her to her feet, before taking her running through the stairs, the dementors sliding behind them once the not-corporeal Patronus was gone. "We have to get out of here!"

He and Susan ran, and once he was sure he was at the entrance to the corridor to get at the Whomping Willow, he opened, leading Susan trough it. "We´re nearly there!" he told her, panting heavily. He would make sure to do more exercise from now on! "Trust in me!"

They got out of the tunnel, Susan screaming in fear when she saw they were below the Willow. "What are we going to do know?" she asked him fearfully.

"Trust me, Susan!" he exclaimed, and with his wand, he pressed the spot he knew would make the tree stop moving. And so it did. "Now, come on, we have to get there!

The travel through Hogwarts was definitely less eventful. They collapsed on the third floor, where the headmasters wrote the time he had taken.

He restrained himself from asking if the time he had taken from the way to Hogwarts to Hogsmeade was considerated to the final time. Dementors, honestly?

Was Dumbledore in his right mind?

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note.<strong>

**Ok, I know this was supposed to be posted tomorrow. **

**But I have grave news. **

**I have been told, by_ funky chunky vampo monkey, _that someone, called _Bellatrix P. Lestrange,_ has posted my story as her own. **

**I don't know what to do. I can prove its my story. Its my idea. It was my time, the one I wasted. The one I used to do this. **

**I am scared. I am furious. I am sad.**

**My hands are trembling as I type this.**

**Should I countinue updating? Even thought I know she could continue copying my chapters? If you visit the story, its called 'Harry Potter: The Nightmare of Midnight' - I mean, even the summary its the same! I cant believe it! - you will notice, the chapters are the same I had before. **

**The date of the publish for that story is before mine, and even then, I swear it. ITS MY IDEA! **

**Now, Im messing with my writting. I can't think straight. I have eraised this sentence like twenty times already, I kept confusing the letters. **

**Deeply disappointed,**

**Lily**


	9. The prophecy and a Window to the Past

**Disclaimer: I don´t own Harry Potter or its characters. Neither I own Fear, by ONEREPUBLIC.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: The prophecy and a Window to the past.<strong>

"Professor Dumbledore," Charles said politely once he had arrived to the familiar round office that was Albus Dumbledore's "You wanted to see me?"

Dumbledore looked at him, more weary and tired that Charles had ever seen him.

"I did," Dumbledore nodded, gesturing the teen to come inside. "I am afraid I have something to tell you. Something I should have told you long ago, right when you started your first year, but I didn´t."

"Sir?" Charles asked, feeling dread bloom inside his heart.

"But I was afraid you couldn´t cope with it," Dumbledore continued, ignoring his question. "The truth, Charles, is that Voldemort had a reason for going into your home that fateful Halloween night. It was you the one that he had gone to kill, not your family."

Charles was confused. What was the Headmaster talking about? He got his answer when Dumbledore took his pensieve, and murmured an incantation under his breath. A figure emerged from the silver vase. Charles gasped when he recognized her.

"Professor Trelawney?"

Dumbledore only nodded, but that was all Charles needed. Trelawney started to talk in her normal annoying voice.

_"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... but he will have a powerful ally, the Guardian, who __he __must look up to... the Guardian will guide him to the right path.. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ...__"_

And there stood Charles, feeling shocked.

"That´s me?" he asked, his throat felt weird, like as he hadn´t talked in months.

"It could have been three boys," the old man admitted. "But he marked _you_ Charles, not Neville Longbottom, or Harry Potter. You are the chosen one. The one that in his ignorance he gave the power to finish this all. Don't you see, Charles? All the mystery answer is on your head."

And he signaled to Charles´s scar.

"But," Charles continued. "What about the Guardian? Who is he?"

"Ah," Dumbledore said proudly. "That´s me."

Charles looked at him weirdly. "How can you _know_?"

"Oh, well," The Professor said, pleasantly, lost in thought. "Is obvious isn´t it?_ That´s why I had to get his brother far_ –"

Charles couldn't believe his ears. "What did you do to Harry?" he asked, indignant.

"Nothing, my boy, nothing," Dumbledore said, embarrassed that he had said that aloud. Now how was he supposed to get the boy´s trust?

"You were the one who made him go away, didn´t you?" Charles said, angry. "How dare you! I trusted in you! Why did you do that?"

Charles took a step towards his Professor.

"It was for the greater good, my boy," Dumbledore said tiredly. "I had to do it. I made your parents push him away –"

"You so think you are my Guardian," Charles said, taking a step towards the door. "Have you stopped to think that maybe Harry was the one meant to be in that position? You bloody old fool!"

And he left the office, leaving a very weary Professor, who now did thought it was time to play this seriously.

"What are you looking at?" He said at Fawkes, who was watching him closely.

* * *

><p><em>No sleep<em>  
><em>Today<em>  
><em>Cant even rest when the suns down<em>  
><em>No time<em>  
><em>There's not enough<em>  
><em>And nobody's watching me now<em>

_When we were children we'd play_  
><em>Out in the streets just dipped in fate<em>  
><em>When we were children we'd say<em>  
><em>That we don't know the meaning of<em>  
><em>Fear, fear, fear,<em>  
><em>Fear, fear, fear<em>  
><em>We don't know the meaning of...<em>

_When we were children we'd play_  
><em>Out in the streets just dipped in fate<em>  
><em>When we were children we'd say<em>  
><em>That we don't know the meaning of<em>  
><em>Fear, fear, fear,<em>  
><em>Fear, fear, fear<em>  
><em>We don't know the meaning of...<em>

_Wish I_  
><em>didn't know the meaning of...<em>

* * *

><p>Nightmare gazed into the fire, the night making him more awake than asleep, as he should have been feeling. He had been waiting for his brother, since Dumbledore had Charles meeting with him.<p>

He had been gone now for half an hour, and Nightmare was getting concerned.

Shaking his head, he put those thoughts aside, getting lost in the dancing of the flames yet once again. He had always been fond of watching the flames. When his parents used to neglect him, he would sit hours by the fire, trying to forget everything that was happening around him. And when he had really bad nightmares, he would go to the nearest fireplace from his room, and just watch the fire.

The only day he had finally not gone to the calming effect of the dancing fire, was that day he left, without saying goodbye. It was just him, old bad memories, and the need to prove to himself that he was worthy of love and affection. But mostly, he wanted to be happy again. He wanted to be loved. He needed to be loved.

Oh, Nightmare remembered very well that night. It had been on the middle of June, and as a not so naïve little boy of just five years old, he had known not to be very excited that his birthday was slowly approaching.

_Young Harry Potter stood by the small window in his room. He had a very lonely expression on his face, and his emerald eyes were blank, without the usual sparkle that kids have. His little hand was pressed against the cold window. _

_He seemed to be watching over something. And he was, for there on the small clearing at the side of the house, was his family. James and Lily Potter seemed not to notice their elder child was watching from distance, as they continued with their happy picnic._

_Harry sighed, longing to be outside with them. Maybe if he was better, if he were like Charles...Oh, how he wanted to be his brother. He didn´t know what he had. Charles had what Harry called the greatest thing in life. The real treasure, the biggest one could get in life. Not fame, or money or any material thing – no, Charles had love. The love and company Harry had wanted all his life._

_But Harry didn´t hate him. After all, Charles had done nothing to get all the affection from their parents, no, just as Harry had done nothing to be pushed aside._

_Harry knew he wasn´t as innocent as a five year old should be. He had seen how Charles acted. He was really spoilt, and it was getting over the limit. Arrogant, spoilt, Harry laughed bitterly, half-knowing he wouldn´t like to be like his younger brother._

"_But, why?"Harry asked himself softly, removing his hand from the window. And then, furious with himself at showing such a weakness, brushed a lone tear that had fallen from his eyes. Why don´t they love me? Why did I ever do?_

Nightmare shook his head once again, determined to push those thoughts aside.

It was bad enough to remember being by that small window, he decided. He really didn´t want to remember having to leave. He hadn´t told anyone what happened that day, not even Flame. He wasn´t ready for everyone to know what _he_ had been through. No, he was supposed to be the leader, and so, he would deal with his own pain later.

He had to take care of his family first. And if that meant pushing aside his feelings, and focusing on his friends bad memories to help them get over them, then so be it.

He stood tiredly; rubbing his eyes, and took his wand. He had to find Charles. Where could he had been gone to?

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note.<strong>

**Hey! Im back! First, I want to tell you something very important, and I know I normally dont do this, but it will be an exception.**

**This chapter is dedicated to the following readers:**

_***Polar Cenit**_

_***Nanchih**_

_***monkeymail**_

_***ashu711  
><strong>_

_***funky chunky vampo monkey**_

__**Thank you all, for supporting me so much, and talking to me this past days! And thank you _funky chunky vampo monkey _for telling me. **

**Anyway, I love you all, thanks for being so great to me! **

**Second, this the second part of this chapter is improvised after the events of Sunday. I wanted to have a surprise to all of you for veing so good readers. And, I had to keep the first part, obviously. Its very important to the story.**

**Have a nice weekend, I see you on Sunday!**

**Lily**

**PS. If for something I can update the chapter on Sunday, Il post it first thing on Monday's morning!  
><strong>


	10. Afterwards

**Disclaimer.- I don´t own Harry Potter or its characters. Neither do I own Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire, by , nor the Walkie Talkie copyright.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10.- The third task: Afterwards<strong>

Life is unpredictable. You never know which path life will follow, there is no way to know how things will turn out.

There is no way to know if you are doing something right or something wrong when you are actually doing it. Its only later when you realise you made a mistake.

And then, once we made a mistake, how to be able to finally make it right? How to stay unbroken?

Life is unpredictable. Some people never have any horrible situations in their life, and they die bored, unimpressed. And then, there are those that had a life of problems, never getting to live alright.

Its it possible to be broken twice?

And most importantly, its it possible to learn to heal?

* * *

><p>The girl hated hospitals. She hated them all; the white of their walls, the stiffness of their beds, the sickening odor of the healing potions – but what she hated more, was the person resting in one of their beds.<p>

She sighed, shifting in her uncomfortable hospital chair. How had everything changed so drastically?

Everything had turned so wrong, and she, for once, didn´t know what to do anymore.

The girl placed her right arm in the occupied bed next to her, and closing her eyes tightly she let her head fall in top of it.

"I guess there is no change, then," a feminine voice said from behind her, where the door of the hospital was placed.

The girl lifted her head slowly, and looked into the eyes of her friend.

"No, there hasn´t been any change. He is still in that bloody coma," she told her, her voice tight with the frustration she had been felling since that terrible day everything had happened.

Her brown-haired friend moved one of the other chairs on the room, so she could also be next to the bed.

The girl placed her head back above her arm.

"I don´t know what to do, Wind." she whispered. She was quite angry to feel tears accumulating in her eyes. She felt Wind place a hand on top of hers.

"He will be alright, Flame. You will see," Wind said softly. "We will all be."

Flame lifted her head again, and desperate chocolate brown eyes met brown.

"How?" she whispered. "We are all fighting, and he is one step from death! We need him to stop this craziness that has begun around us!"

"We will manage it," Wind said calmly, her hand never wavering from her position above Flame´s.

"We don´t even know what Riddle did to him!" Flame finally exploded. "We asked Charles; you know he said he didn´t catch what the curse was! And then, all the Midnights are fighting between them – and don´t say they have been fighting for always!" she added when she saw Wind open her mouth. "This is different. We need Nightmare."

Wind smiled sadly at her, recognizing the truth in Flame´s words.

"I need him," Flame whispered softly, taking her hand from under her friend´s hand, and traced softly her boyfriend´s pale cheek, before taking his cold hand.

Flame never saw Wind stand up and walk towards the door; neither she saw her friend giving her and their leader a sad smile; she just closed her eyes, trying to gain the sleep that she knew would never arrive.

* * *

><p><em>Bagman pointed his wand at his throat, muttered, "Sonorus," and his magically magnified voice echoed into the stands.<em>

_"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each - Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Charles Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in third place – Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"_

_"So… on my whistle, Charles and Cedric!" said Bagman. "Three - two - one -"_

_He gave a short blast on his whistle, and both Charles and Cedric hurried forward into the maze._

_The towering hedges cast black shadows across the path, making the roaring sound from the audience stop very suddenly, as if Charles had dived into a pool._

_"Lumos," he muttered, just as Nightmare had advised him to, and heard Cedric do the same just behind him._

_After about fifty yards, the boys reached a fork. They looked at each other, and without a word, rushed into the solitude of choosing different paths._

_Charles heard Bagman's whistle for the second time. Krum had entered the maze. Charles sped up. His chosen path seemed completely deserted. He turned right, and hurried on, holding his wand high over his head, trying to see as far ahead as possible. Still, there was nothing in sight._

_Bagman's whistle blew in the distance for the third time. All of the champions were now inside._

* * *

><p>"So," Blade started, once he saw Wind enter the room. "How are they?"<p>

Wind sighed as she took a seat on the left side of her boyfriend. "Nightmare is still on coma – and you know Flame, she is..."

She didn´t need to finish her sentence, they all knew Flame had been heartbroken when she learnt her boyfriend had been injured.

Lost in thoughts, the group that called themselves as the Lightnings settled into silence.

After some minutes of the tense situation, Frosty opened her mouth.

"These headquarters are much strange," she said dreamily. "There are a few Wrackspurts in this building."

She was correct, the Midnights´ Headquarters had a thing about it that make everyone uneasy. Yes, the building itself was bigger than their own was; it had an auditorium, five entire floors of guestrooms, a hospital, playrooms, and a floor for training, with lots of areas and tools; but to them it felt empty, the homey feeling of their own headquarters lost in the extensive areas. It did make them remember, though, that their group was highly recognized – and given charity money by lots of influential people – for fighting death eaters.

"Probably because of all the tension and fighting." Echo said to Frosty, trying to excuse the Wrackspurts.

Rock opened his mouth to say something, probably to agree with Echo, when a beeping sound was heard. Wind´s hand traveled towards her handbag, pulling out a small device that everyone recognized as a WalkieTalkie. Ever since they got separated from Blade and Tornado, they had all agreed in having some communication method aside the owls – and so, every single one of them, the Lightnings, and the Midnights, had gotten one of the petite communicators.

Wind pressed one of the buttons, and brought the device more closer to her mouth.

"Yes?" she asked, her voice a bit frustrated. Then, she stopped pressing the button to allow the response to come.

"Wind of Lightning?" they heard Moon ask. "I need your group to come to the Auditorium, immediately. We have – er, things, to discuss."

Moon of Midnight was a boy that could control weather, or know the kind of day one would have. He could predict rain at least two weeks before it happened.

Every Lightning had power, and lots of it, but the ones in the Midnights; they were the best.

There was Nightmare, with his impressive control of elements. Few knew, though, that he had actually studied very hard to acquire them. Ivy, could control any kind of liquid; Light loved to blind her enemy; Shade could control darkness; and Eagle knew every kind of animal, and had the power to talk to and transform into them.

"What kind of 'things'?"asked Wind, between curious and exasperated. It was probably just another reason to fight.

"Well, you see," Moon continued nervously.

"Yes?" everyone asked impatiently.

"We found out what happened to Nightmare."

* * *

><p><em>Charles felt his feet slam into the ground; his injured leg gave way, and he fell forward; his hand let go of the Triwizard Cup at last. He raised his head.<em>

_"Where I am?" he said, shaking his head_

_He got up, and looked around. He was, apparently, not in Hogwarts grounds anymore; the Cup-Portkey had obviously traveled miles - perhaps hundreds of miles – as he couldn´t recognise his surroundings anymore. _

_He was standing instead in a dark and overgrown graveyard; the black outline of a small church was visible beyond a large yew tree to their right. A hill rose above them to their left. Charles could just make out the outline of a fine old house on the hillside._

_But there was something about this place that made him feel nauseated. He blinked as he got some sort of Deja-vu. Oh, no..._

"_No," Charles whispered, looking frantically around. This was the place of his dream, and that meant – Voldemort!_

_"Someone's coming," he whispered suddenly, feeling someone´s presence getting closer.._

_Squinting tensely through the darkness, he watched the figure drawing nearer, walking steadily toward them between the graves. Charles couldn't make out a face, but from the way it was walking and holding its arms, he could tell that it was carrying something. Whoever it was, he was short, and wearing a hooded cloak pulled up over his head to obscure his face. And - several paces nearer, the gap between them closing all the time - Charles saw that the thing in the persons arms looked like a baby… or was it merely a bundle of robes?_

_And then, he recognized him. It was Peter Pettegrew – the traitor._

"_You!" Charles shouted angrily. "What are you doing here?"_

_But the rat-Animagus ignored him as he got even closer to Charles. And suddenly, Charles fell to the floor in pain – pain, like the one he felt in his first year, when fighting Voldemort. He was near._

"_Whatever it is what you want, Pettegrew," Charles said, more brave than he felt, pointing his wand towards the small man. "I won´t help you!"_

_Someone laughed, and it was a terrible, frightening laugh, that made Charles´s stomach flip over. _

"_You really expect me not to have a plan, Charles Potter?" Voldemort´s horrible spirit-like voice reached his ears, and Charles nearly puked when he realized... the bundle of robes, was the one and only, Lord Voldemort._

"_What do you mean?" Charles asked, trying to not let his voice waver; but he never got an answer._

_Pettegrew lit his wand, and was suddenly dragging Charles towards the marble headstone. Charles saw the name upon it flickering in the wand light before he was forced around and slammed against it._

_TOM RIDDLE_

_The cloaked man was now conjuring tight cords around Charles, tying him from neck to ankles to the headstone. Charles could hear shallow, fast breathing from the depths of the hood; he struggled, and the man hit him - hit him with a hand that had a finger missing._

"_Stop bothering me, Voldemort!" he exclaimed, struggling in his bonds. "I. WILL. NOT. HELP. YOU!"_

"_W-we sh-shall s-see," Wormtail said. "Just... N-now!"_

_Charles stopped struggling and blinked in shock._

_There, in the middle of the Cementery, was none other than Nightmare of Midnight._

* * *

><p><strong>Author note:<strong>

**Hi, everyone! Sorry ´bout the lateness! I was trying to finish both part 1 and part 2 of this chapter, while I get ready for school, that starts next week.**

**You will all love the rest!**

**I want to say, too, that the parts that are in cursive, while they are Flashbacks, they have some word-to-word parts from GOF of lovely JKR. Don´t hate me! I needed some PRO help with that...**

**So, I will see you tomorrow! Please, feel free to tell me what you think, or what you want!**

**Lily**


	11. Recovering

**Disclaimer: I don´t own Harry Potter or its characters!**

**Author note (and one of the only AN at the start of the Chapter.)**

**Previously, in Nightmare of Midnight:**

_Life is unpredictable. Some people never have any horrible situations in their life, and they die bored, unimpressed. And then, there are those that had a life of problems, never getting to live alright._

_Its it possible to be broken twice?_

_"He will be alright, Flame. You will see," Wind said softly. "We will all be."_

_"We don´t even know what Riddle did to him!" Flame finally exploded. "We asked Charles; you know he said he didn´t catch what the curse was! And then, all the Midnights are fighting among them – and don´t say they have been fighting for always!" she added when she saw Wind open her mouth. "This is different. We need Nightmare."_

_Bagman's whistle blew in the distance for the third time. All the champions were now inside._

_"Yes?" everyone asked impatiently._

_"We found out what happened to Nightmare."_

_"Stop bothering me, Voldemort!" he exclaimed, struggling in his bonds. "I. WILL. NOT. HELP. YOU!"_

_"W-we sh-shall s-see," Wormtail said. "Just... N-now!"_

_Charles stopped struggling and blinked in shock._

_There, in the middle of the Cementery, was none other than Nightmare of Midnight._

**Ok, I soo wanted to do that! Anyway, to the chapter!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11.- Recovery.<strong>

"So, what happened to him?" asked Blade worryingly. Some of the Midnights shifted nervously – but yet excitedly – in their feet. They had gone over Charles memories, to know what exactly had happened to their fearless leader, and what they found had bothered them terribly.

"We have checked Charles´s memories." started Shade, and the Lightnings noticed he had been one only Midnight not completely shaken off – and that preoccupied them terribly.

* * *

><p><em>Charles´s unasked question of why his brother was there, was answered when Voldemort spoke.<em>

"_Ah, I see you have received my note," Charles noticed that he didn´t seem scared, nor surprised at the sight of the powerful teen, but rather, the Dark Lord seemed almost – smug._

_Nightmare turned his gaze towards the Boy-Who-Lived, and Charles was stunned to see the panic so clearly written on the emerald orbs._

_The elemental then turned his gaze towards the Dark Lord and Pettigrew, and nodded his head slightly, hands shaking from rage, and eyes cold, terrifying. Charles couldn´t stop a shudder at the sight of that coldness, and was really grateful it wasn't directed at him._

"_Yes, I have come," the green-eyed teen said coolly. "Let him go."_

_Voldemort cackled with laugher – a horrible, heartless laugher, and Charles felt his insides go cold – and the Boy-Who-Lived felt something he rarely felt now days – fear._

* * *

><p>"So?" Pretty much every Lightning screamed in frustration, some of them nearly pulling their hair off.<p>

The Midnight part of the group had stayed silent for nearly five minutes, like as if preparing themselves for something really horrible, but then again – maybe it was.

Shade rolled his eyes, and talked loudly, gaining some glares from his team (mainly Light)

"Nightmare is blocked." he said, un-affected.

The Lightnings shared an irritated look. 'Nightmare is blocked' really didn´t tell them so much. It could mean many things – and none of them good.

"What Shade meant," Light said as she passed a hand through her grey hair. "Is that somehow, I don´t know exactly, Voldemort blocked all of Nightmare´s powers – well, all his elemental powers, anyway."

Wind gasped softly, and slid to the floor, until she was on a kneeling position.

"So that's why he is in a coma..." she whispered, but everyone heard her anyway.

"His body is so well adapted to the power, that when he can´t call them – or reach them and feel them – he just doesn´t answer. Its, it's like – "

"Losing a big part of himself." Frosty said, her usual dreamy look gone.

The room settled into an uncomfortable silence.

"Is there," said Rock. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

Every Lightning nodded, too shocked to talk, but Eagle shook her head.

"No, we can only wait."

* * *

><p>"<em>Let´s see what you think about all this when I am done with your brother, Potter!" Voldemort exclaimed before Pettigrew lifted the Dark lord´s wand.<em>

"_Obfirmo potentia" Pettigrew whispered – shockingly, without tremor in his voice – and Charles barely heard him, and forgot all about it when he saw Nightmare, collapsing to the ground, in obvious pain._

"_W-what are y-you doing to h-him?" Charles exclaimed tearfully as Nightma- Harry´s yells cut into the night. "Stop it! Stop it!"_

_Charles was sure, that if having his arms and hands free, he would have been preventing the sickening voice from reaching his ears. He had never seen his twin so, vulnerable._

"_STOP IT!" he screamed finally, and collapsed in his bounds._

_Pettigrew looked at him._

"_I´ll do what you want. Just, please, don´t hurt him." Charles whispered, his terrified eyes fixed on Harry._

* * *

><p>Flame froze when she heard a groan. And then, she stood so fast, her chair fell to the floor with a loud crash.<p>

"Night!" she exclaimed, excitedly. "Nightmare, are you awake?"

Nightmare groaned again, but nodded slightly.

"Can you open your eyes?" Flame asked, very hopeful at her boyfriend´s awakening.

She was answered by the sight of one pair of emerald orbs.

* * *

><p><strong>Coming soon:<strong>

"_Something is wrong with me, can´t you see?"_

"_So, then, I announce myself as the new leader of the group known by the Midnights!" he said._

_Something terrible settled on his head, and he knew immediately the reason it burned roughly into his heart. Pure pain – and betrayal._

"_We will stay with you, Night," she said. "Powers or not. You are our friend. You united us."_

_They needed refuge, and where to stay, but the house of the ones who had always treated him best?_


	12. Epilogue  It will continue

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry Potter, nor its characters, or situation. **

* * *

><p>Flame froze when she heard a groan. And then, she stood so fast, her chair fell to the floor with a loud crash.<p>

"Night!" she exclaimed, excitedly. "Nightmare, are you awake?"

Nightmare groaned again, but nodded slightly.

"Can you open your eyes?" Flame asked, very hopeful at her boyfriend´s awakening.

She was answered by the sight of one pair of emerald orbs.

"Nightmare!" she exclaimed, throwing herself to him, forgetting for a moment that he had just awoken from a coma, and was in an hospital bed, and blushing a very deep shade of red when she heard his groin of pain. "Oh, I´m so sorry, I didn´t think! I- sorry! Did I hurt you?"

She forced herself to step away from him. She looked at him, analyzing him, and was pained to see his lively eyes where half-dull again.

"What- where i-is C-c-charles?" her boyfriend asked in a weak, concerned voice.

Flame nearly smiled. Typical Nightmare, she thought, caring and selfish.

"He is fine," she said instead. She sat down in his bed. "Truthfully, we´ve been more worried about you."

Nightmare gave her a half-smirk. "Why?"

Flame didn´t have the time to answer. In a blink of an eye, Nightmare was agonizing in his sick, his eyes rolling on his sockets while convulsing.

Flame fell in shock. She was totally frozen. A second away he had been fine!

"Help!" she called finally, once her boyfriend started her when he started yelling in pain.

She hadn´t even finished calling when Frosty got past the door. She called a ball of water, and slowly pressed it into Nightmare´s skin, the water not even entering his skin.

She sighted when he stopped convulsing. "He will be fine," she said, her dreamy voice still there, even thought her face was serious, even grave.

Flame sighted sadly, holding Nightmare´s hand softly. "Another after-effect from his block?"

Frosty didn´t answer, but she didn't have to. Everyone knew these days where going to be difficult for Nightmare. Really, they were going to be hard for everyone.

* * *

><p>The boy opened his eyes, but was blinded by the brilliant sun. He closed them again quickly. He tried again, more slowly. Then, he waited a moment for his eyes to adjust, and left them open.<p>

"Hey," the red-haired girl smiled.

Hey" he said, trying to smile, but something about it seemed strained. What was what felt so bad? Why was he feeling so... empty? He frowned slightly, but the girl noticed.

"What´s wrong?" she asked, worried.

"I feel weird," he admitted reluctantly.

She shifted nervously. "What do you thing it's causing you to feel like that?" she asked him.

"I don´t know," he told her, distracted. He had been trying to make the wind go wilder, without results. He groaned, frustrated.

"Okay, Flay," he said, using the nickname everyone called her when they were younger. "What´s happening to me?"

Flame looked at him, surprised.

"What do you mean?"

He groaned. "This!" he said, lifting his hand towards the candle at his side. The flame stayed as it was. "Why doesn´t it work? Something is wrong with me, can´t you see?"

Flame looked at him. "Night," she said, answering with _his _kid-nickname. "Voldemort blocked your powers, okay? That's why. But nothing is wrong with you! You are still you. We don´t care!"

Nightmare´s eyes widened. He didn´t have his elements? Oh, god, he thought. No wonder why I feel so naked, so empty! I´ve never had been me without the elements. It was them what helped me to get over my family!

What was he supposed to do now?

And more importantly, he thought, as he turned in the bed, to face the white wall; how was he supposed to help Charles, his friends, the world, if he was this helpless?

* * *

><p>"So, then, I announce myself as the new leader of the group known by the Midnights!" Shade said, over some shouts of surprise, some of victory, and some of horror.<p>

Those shouts of horror where coming from the Lightnings. They were no doubt thinking about how he dared doing that, when their leader was incapacitated.

Nightmare stared at the door. He had been about to go in, and surprise them all, when he had heard them all. He was standing with the help of a walking stick. And it fell to the floor with a crash. He didn´t paid mind to it.

Something terrible settled on his head, and he knew immediately the reason it burned roughly into his heart. He was feeling pure pain. He had been hurt – and betrayed.

He barely saw the door open, and his friends feeling out of the room. He did feel thought, when Wind placed a hand on his shoulder - Wind, his sister. Blade, Tornado, Rock and Echo – they were his brothers. Flame – dear Flame, his love. They all understood his feelings. Light, Eagle and moon all looked at him from the room, and he nodded, at them, letting them know, he was okay if they wanted to stay. He couldn´t ask them all to leave with him – no, it was asking too much.

"We will stay with you, Night," Wind said, as if reading his mind, and his group nodded. "We don't care if you have powers or not. You are our friend. You united us in the first place. You gave us a home when no-one else did. It's the least we can do for you."

Nightmare looked at her, and smiled gratefully at all of them. "Thanks."

"Don´t mention it, mate." Echo said.

"So, do you have any idea of where to go now?" Blade asked, with one eyebrow lifted.

"I may have an idea." He said, as he walked towards his room. They needed refuge, and where to stay, but the house of the ones who had always treated him best? "But we need to get there now."

"Of course, Night." Rock said.

Nightmare turned to them once more. "Oh, and I suppose, since we are quitting, I mean – you can call me Harry."

They all turned to look at him in surprise. He had never liked his name being said.

"Listen, it's just, I'm trying to see this as a new beginning, and to where we are going... let's just say, may given name will get mentioned many times. I trust all of you."

They all smiled sadly, as they understand his actions. They were turning away from the living style they had been living in since they were children. And they understood, they were never going to come back.

And even thought they got all nostalgic as they walked through the Headquarters main gates, they knew, they had done the right thing.

Sometimes you have to take the risk.

* * *

><p><strong>A.N.<strong>

**Okay, guys! I am so happy! Well, this chapter makes it the end of this fanfic. Well, not really "the end", but nearly. Nah, its just end of part one. Part two is on editing, and construcction stage right now, so it may be a while until you heard from me again!**

**Part 2 will be posted here in this same "Archive" but it will have a prologue, as to signal the start of a new era.**

**Now, Im really, really, really, sorry about the lateness! Im on tests right now, so Im kinda stressed! (Okay, cross the "kinda" part- I am TOTALLY stressed.) But I really wanted to be done with part 1.**

**DONT WORRY! Part two, is the looongest part, with like the double of part 1. (Or, it will be, once Im done with it!)**

**So, until later, dear readers! Have fun on your little break!**

**Lily**


	13. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I dont own Harry Potter or its characters.**

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><p><strong>Part 2 of Nightmare of Midnight.<strong>

**Prologue. **

* * *

><p>Harry watched from the other side of the window, frustrated at the single drop of water he had been able to produce. Ever since the day he woke up, and left the Midnights, he had been able to get a small part of his power unblocked again. Mainly, he had been able to produce wind and fire, but, as the curse Voldemort had placed in him still hadn´t worn out, he still wasn´t able to use all of his old power; and he felt frustrated. More frustrated than ever.<p>

Behind him, his team – his family – was relaxing (something they hadn´t been able to do since they started being the Lightning.)

Some of them, like Blaise, Draco and Neville were watching the television. Hermione and Ron were – of course – kissing, and Luna and Ginny were talking quietly, but excitedly about weird species of animals.

Harry sighed as he looked around him, turning around in his chair, so that his back was the one that was now towards the window.

His eyes glanced at each one of his companions, and stopped at the sight of the two who were furthest away from him – Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.

He admitted it, he had been wary of going to them, at first. But now, he knew it had been the best decision he had made in a long time.

The two Marauders continued chatting, oblivious at their best friend´s son´s glance at their direction.

They seemed worried about something.

Harry turned now to look briefly at the window, before sighting and walking towards his girlfriend, Ginny. Even though he had called her Flame since the day they had met, she had been (as everyone else) very glad when he decided to use his real name, and so, the next day from their escapee from the Headquarters; she had declared that she was to be called Ginny again.

Not Ginevra, though. She hated the full name, and, in her opinion, was terrible.

Harry was happy with calling her Gin.

Their situation at the Midnight´s Headquarters, and the fact that nearly half of his team was starting to talk with each other´s given names, made him feel kind of sad.

This wasn´t what he had wanted.

This was _not_ supposed to happen.

Harry closed his eyes, and bowed his head, knowing that if given the chance again, he would have helped his twin each time – he still would have gone to Hogwarts.

He couldn´t help it, he supposed he had been developing a 'Big-brother's sense', something that made him want to give everything for his twin.

Or maybe it was just a twin´s connection?

The former Midnight shook his head, trying to clear it. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and saw Ginny there, offering the comfort only she could give to his troubled mind.

"It will be alright," she said softly.

Harry looked at her, emerald eyes pained, unfocused.

"How can someone forget – forgive betrayal?"

Ginny´s face turned pained for a second before answering.

"We can´t," she said. "but that doesn´t mean we have to give up."

Harry stayed quiet for a while, trying and achieving in recovering a bit of his normal personality. He was ready to fight back.

"And who said we are going to give up?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note.<strong>

**Okay, this is, if you didn´t notice, the Prologue, the teaser, for the Part 2!**

**It all starts April 20.**

**Teaser link:**

**http: / / www . youtube . com / watch ?v = 9VQXYDhc7cA&context = C4f3f1e7AD vjVQa1PpcFMuQB FNkokCoNG8by ACgh9G5eUOv7EQdiY =**

**Until then!**

**Lily.**


	14. Nightmares and treason

**Disclaimer: I don´t own Harry Potter or its characters.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2.- Nightmares and treason.<strong>

Charles Potter shifted in his bed, his mind relieving the events of the Triwizard´s Tournament, in which he had participated, and where it all had gone wrong.

"No!" he whispered, and said more loudly. "No, please! Don´t harm him, please!"

Sweet poured from his forehead, sheets glued to his pale skin from the wetness.

"No, Harry, NO!"

He screamed, as he sat on his bed so quickly, that he got dizzy.

Footsteps were heard. The door opened, Lily Potter walking through it. She looked concerned.

"Charles?" she climbed in his bed, and put a hand on his shaking shoulders. She was about to ask if he was alright, but he clearly wasn´t. "What happened? Are the nightmares back?"

Charles nodded his head, his eyes downcast.

Lily put a comforting arm around her younger son, as he sobbed quietly. "Everything is going to be alright." she whispered, soothingly.

Charles looked at her. "How can you be so sure? How could _you_ know? I don´t even know if Night – Harry is dead or not!"

Lily closed her eyes tightly, trying to block the mental image of either of her two sons – dead. All pale, not breathing, and those emerald eyes (so much like hers) unseeing, unblinking.

_No__,_ she told herself. _Harry is alive. Don´t think like that._

"I'm so sorry, Charles," she said, the mantra still repeating in her head, but the images kept coming. "You are right. I don´t know Harry. I'm sorry!"

Charles looked surprised to see his mum so distraught. As she opened her eyes, her tears were free for him to see. She knew he could see the pain – the remorse – in her eyes.

Charles pieced it all together, as she knew he would.

"Something else happened, didn´t it? With Harry? What really happened, Mum?"

Lily shook her head.

"I'm sorry!"

"Mum, tell me!" Charles practically screamed, and James arrived at the door, worried, just in time to see Lily put her head on her hands.

"I'm sorry, Charles. I didn´t do better. If I had done so, Harry would still live here!" she cried. "I'm sorry."

Charles was, clearly, still confused. Something was wrong! His parents were supposed to hate his twin!

James sat beside Lily. "We didn´t want Harry to run away, Son."

"Then why did you treat him like that?" he asked, angrily.

"We didn´t want to," Lily whispered, so quietly that Charles had to move closer to understand. "_he_ forced us to."

Charles blinked.

"Him? Who is '_he'_?"

Lily lifted her head, emerald eyes focusing in the pale brown of her son´s.

"Dumbledore."

* * *

><p>Charles felt as if something had hit him. So, all that time, when his brother had been ignored, when he had ran away, when he hadn´t had a home...<p>

...all this time, it had been his mentor, Albus Dumbledore, who had driven his brother away.

He stumbled in his bed, and got stuck in his sheets, falling hard on the floor. His backside hurt, but he ignored it.

'This is impossible!' his mind screamed. Dumbledore wasn´t perfect, but_ this?_

_This was much worse_, he decided. _The worst kind of __betrayal._

He wondered, not for the first time, if Voldemort was the only one they needed shelter from.

* * *

><p>It was a few months later, that Guinevere Dilard stood court.<p>

Everyone was mortified when they heard she had been the traitor that resulted in Charles and Harry´s abduction. But none more than Sirius Black, whom had had a relationship with her.

It turns out, she had been spying on the children the whole time.

Her story was simple.

She had been an only child, homeschooled, bitter, from the lack of company beside her parents. She hated people with a passion, after all the teasing she had as a child – for not being very wealthy.

So, when Lord Voldemort took her in, she had been glad to help him.

The second Death Eater who was a woman, the first, being Bellatrix Lestrange.

She, as it turned out, was a metamorphmagi, and that had helped her when spying on the Boy – who – lived, and his twin, the Guardian.

She had, also, been the one that had been those pair of eyes that followed the Potter twins everywhere.

Being the one in charge of Charles´s mentoring, it had been only too easy for her to leave a Portkey for Charles, and a Note for Harry; which had him go running for his brother.

Some laughed at the irony of her name.

Guinivere.

As in the wife of King Arthur.

Queen Guinivere – the traitor.

But, at the end, everyone in the Wizengamot had agreed in one thing.

Guinivere Olivia Dilard was guilty of all charges.

She never made it out.

* * *

><p>"So," James Potter started to say, "are you ready to go back to Hogwarts?"<p>

Charles, Dean, Seamus, Susan and Hannah nodded; some excitedly, some not. One if the ones who didn´t act very excited was Charles, but, as the events of the last year _and_ his parents confession were still fresh in his mind, the others ignored it. For now.

"I'm really nervous, Mr. Potter!" admitted Hannah, and she did look nervous, but if one looked closely, her eyes were shining with anticipation.

"Why, Hannah?" asked Charles´s mum.

"I just wish they would tell us who is Prefect sooner," the blonde girl suspired.

Dean and Seamus caught each other´s eyes, and shifted a laugh. Charles shook his head as Susan stood up and glared at them.

"You think this is funny? That our friend wants to be a Prefect?" Susan asked, getting angry.

"No, of course not - "

"Then why are you laughing?"

Dean and Seamus shifted guiltily.

"We are sorry, Han. It would be great if you got to be a Prefect."

Charles walked closer to Hannah. "Yeah. Don´t listen to them. They want you to become a Prefect just so that you get them out of tight situations."

Both Hannah and Susan smiled at him gratefully.

"Knowing you, Charles, they will be many of those _situations-_"

"Please, don´t give him any ideas!" Lily exclaimed, playfully. "That boy gets himself in more trouble than James, and he is an Auror."

They were all hanging out at Charles´s house. Lily and James had even convinced Charles, Dean and Seamus to forgive each others. Charles knew, though, that their friendship was just too damaged to come to be what it was before, but they were trying, and that was really mattered. Either way, The Potters had invited their son´s friend to come to his house on his birthday, to have a small party - something that was different from other years, when they would make a fuss over it.

Charles was happy with what they had made.

His parents had made some kind of pool, that looked more like a small lake than a professional pool. They had placed many toys to play in the pool, like balls, and other kind of things that were underwater, so you had to swim to get it.

Charles´s birthday, the 31th of July, was spent among friends and family - most of it, anyway - playing games and just having fun.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in another place of England, there was a meeting. Some people arrived at the room, dressed in their normal attires. They were gathering around a single person, who was the leader.<p>

The shadows covered all of their features, making it impossible to know who they were.

The leader suddenly raised his arms, and they all shut down.

"Are all here?" he asked, his voice sounding like one of a teen.

"Yes, Shade," a girl answered, she sounded guilty about something. A boy, at her side shifted as well.

"Something wrong, Ivy, Moon?" Shade asked, feigning concern.

"Well, yes," Moon answered. "This is wrong. We should have waited for Nightmare."

Ivy nodded, pulling her brunette hair out of her braid, like she did when she was nervous.

"Oh, you think so?" Shade sneered. Ivy, Eagle and Moon nodded. "Then maybe you should go with him. He is no longer welcome here. From this day, saying his name is prohibited."

Eagle, Ivy and Moon looked at him, startled, and then Ivy found her voice.

"Don´t you see, Shade?" she asked him. "See in what you´ve become! I can´t even recognise you! Who was the one who helped you - us - from the start, who was here for us always, even when we fought? It was him! It was Night - " Shade glared at her, and she huffed before continuing. "Fine! Harry! It was him who rescued all of us from our pasts, remember? Why want you show some loyalty to that?"

The group didn´t react, And Ivy took a step back, closer to Moon and Eagle.

"You know what? If this is what the Midnights have turned out to be, then I don´t want to be a part of it anymore!" she said, sadly, Moon and Eagle nodding behind her. They were a bit shocked to hear her talk so much, as normally she was much more quiet.

Finally, Eagle started voicing her thoughts. "I am with Ivy. I only stayed so long because of Nightmare, but if he has left, there is nothing more to decide. We are going."

And she, Ivy and Moon turned to the door, and without a second glance, disappeared into the night.

"So," Shade asked, as if nothing had happened. "Where were we?"

And the meeting started, their members extremely quiet, despite Shade´s obvious excitement behind the topic. The one topic that had made them fight in the first place.

Which side to pick?

Were they going to stay light, like Nightmare had wanted?

Or were they going to pick the easier path? The path of darkness?

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note:<strong>

**Okay. Here´s the plan:**

**I´ll post a new chapter every Tuesday and Friday. I don´t know exactly at which hour, but it will be probably in the evening, not in the morning, as I have school. (This is, of course, not considering that you life in another place, and your hours are not like mine.)**

**Can you tell who are the Midnights? Well, some of them. The rest are mainly OC´s. But Ivy IS a cannon character, even if she only got mentioned once. And Moon... well, you will see later.**

**So, did you like this chapter? I'm dying to hear what you think of it! Please, REVIEW, and tell me!**

**Oh, I forgot, in one of the following chapters, I will describe more about Harry´s and Charles´s birthdays. This was only the explaining.**

**See you next week!**

**Lily.**


	15. And so, the search began

**Disclaimer: I don´t own Harry Potter or its characters.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3.- And so, the search began.<strong>

Harry suddenly looked up. Something had just snapped inside him. How hadn´t he thought of that before?

True, they were extremely dark, and he wasn´t even supposed to know about them - but he knew now that´s what made Voldemort immortal.

'Of course!' he hit his forehead mentally several times.

"Of course!" he exclaimed out loud, making everyone turn towards him.

They all seemed surprised, to see him like that after months of brooding, and moping.

He nearly snorted. He had passed that stage long ago, ever since Ginny and him had talked. Everyone was just overreacting, as always.

His thoughts were interrupted by someone.

"What happened, Harry?" Remus asked, concerned, and everyone nodded, as if to indicate that they were thinking the same.

Harry looked at them, his eyes wide.

"I just thought of something. Wi - Hermione, do you remember when both of us studied all those books of Dark Magic, just to be prepared?" he asked, excited, ignoring the looks from the adults in the room, who were both amused and worried about that that question, and the information that it possessed.

Hermione nodded, still a bit confused. "What about it?"

"You remember the horcruxes?" he continued, still as excited as before.

"Of course I remember!" she exclaimed, still confused. "Those horri-" she trailed off.

Hermione opened her mouth in surprise, eyes widening with understanding. "Oh," she said. "I can´t believe I didn´t think of that!"

"I know!" Harry exclaimed, getting to his feet, and pacing, hands placed together - as if praying - but he held them over his mouth. "We need to destroy them - for Charles, and to defeat Voldemort once and for all."

Everyone besides Ginny and Luna were confused, as those two had been there when Harry and Hermione had searched the Dark Magic books.

"What are you talking about, Harry?" Sirius asked, hopeful. Some way to kill Voldemort was good. Besides, Harry seemed to have gathered himself together again. Sirius wanted him to be happy. After all that had happened in his life, Harry deserved to have peace; something that he would only be able to get when Voldemort died. And not only his godson deserved it, but also all the Wizarding world.

"Horcruxes," said Luna dreamily. "That makes sense, Harry."

"Er- what on Earth is an Horcrux?" asked Ron.

"A piece of a soul," Hermione explained, exchanging looks with her fellow accomplices, "The one who makes an Horcrux has to rip a piece of their soul - by murdering someone. It's terrible - oh, Harry, are you sure?"

"Completely," the boy said, vacantly, "it's what _he _would do."

Hermione sighed. "Yes, I know, but it's just so - cruel!"

Everyone stayed immobile, except for Harry, who was still pacing, now with his hands behind his back. Everyone was just to grossed out to speak.

Making an Horcrux definitely seemed like the worst thing possible. But it was the kind of thing they could imagine Voldemort making.

Harry stopped briefly in his pacing before continuing.

"You think Voldemort made one of this - horcruxes?" Sirius asked, stopping at the end when he forgot the pronunciation.

"Not only one," Harry muttered vacantly as he continued pacing, deep in thought. "More like... seven."

"Seven?" everyone asked. "Why do you think he made seven?"

"Most powerful magical number," Harry explained. "Voldemort would have done this with a hidden significance. Seven means power to him - and he thinks power is everything, the way to greatness."

Remus nodded apprehensively, knowing it did seem possible that Voldemort had made seven links to life, but it was still a thought that wasn´t in their favour.

"That makes sense," added Ron, agreeing with everyone´s thoughts.

"But what are they?" Neville asked, his eyes following their leader´s track through the room.

No-one answered.

"Harry?" Ginny asked, and sighing, Harry finally stopped moving completely. "What do you know that we don´t?"

"Of course!" he breathed excitedly, ignoring his red-headed girlfriend.

"You know what they are, don´t you?" Ginny asked, knowingly.

"I don´t only know what they are," the raven-haired teen said. "I think I know where they are."

And it was then, that the search for the horcruxes began.

They searched for all of them, exactly where Harry had told them. Of course, they got it wrong some times, and Harry had to go through all the information all over again a few times, but finally, they found the first one.

The locket was the first. Sirius proved to be an excellent helping hand. He mentioned his Death Eater brother, Regulus Black. At first, they weren´t sure about it, but as they went to the Black Manor, and searched - er, asked Kreacher, the house elf, they got it in no time.

One gone, six more to find.

* * *

><p>Harry opened his eyes slowly, groaning when he noticed it was still dark outside - or so he noticed from the bed, anyway. His emerald eyes travelled around the room, glancing at his still new surroundings.<p>

It would take more time to get familiarised with his new room, in his new house.

Sirius and Remus had managed to create some extra rooms in Sirius´s house, but the space hadn´t been enough so that everyone could have a room. Instead, they had been quite happy to share rooms.

And of course, he had sided with the one red-headed that snored the most.

Harry sat up on his bed, glancing amusingly at the sleeping form of Ron Weasley.

Of course, he hadn´t been that amused the first week.

Shaking his head, the teen got up, and walked to his dresser, quickly choosing some clothes and a clean robe to put over them; and then, silently, he walked to the bathroom. Changing quickly into his jeans, and emerald t-shirt, he washed his face and hair, brushing his hair, and then, as quickly, he pulled over his dark green robe. He pushed aside the thought of brushing his teeth, he hadn´t had breakfast yet. It had no point.

Harry then opened the door, walking through the pass way until he arrived at his room, where he placed his wand into place, and then he put on his sneakers.

Now ready to leave the bedroom area, Harry walked silently to the common room; where he took out a book he had planned to read anyway.

He was halfway the book when it happened.

Someone called at the door. They seemed anxious, as though knocks were hard, and fast. Someone really wanted to get in.

Harry stood up, his curiosity guiding him to the door.

"Who´s there?" he called, wary.

"Night!" the voice said, but Harry didn´t recognized it. It was too blurry, too quiet. "Its Eagle, Moon, and Ivy."

"Eagle?" Harry said, surprised. What was Ivy, Eagle and Moon doing there, outside Sirius´s house? Why they weren´t with the other Midnights? What had happened since he had left?

"Yes, Nightmare, it's me," Eagle said, her loud and familiar voice now more clear. "I´ll explain everything, but you have to let us enter. It's not safe out here."

"Of course!" Harry exclaimed, and quickly opened the door, to reveal the three tired Midnights. "Come in. And tell me, what are you doing here?"

Ivy suspired. "It's kind of a long story." she admitted quietly.

Harry´s eyes wandered towards the sky, which was still dark. "Don´t worry, I have plenty of time."

The ex-Midnights told him what had happened, explaining the meeting that had resulted in their resigning.

"...so then we left." finished Moon, after they had all taken turns story-telling.

Harry was preoccupied. "Are you alright? How did you find us?"

Moon, Ivy and Eagle looked ashamed. "Er - we may have read your profile, and uh, we followed you to here?"

Harry shook his head. Of course. His friends were smart enough to figure out he had gone to the only two people of his past - plus Charles - that he felt he could trust.

"I just hope the group would be able to find the right path in this war." Harry sighed. "Are you sure you are okay?"

They nodded. "We are just a bit tired."

"Oh, by the way," Harry started, his mouth becoming a grin. "You might know that we are calling each others with our true names. We don´t see the point anymore, to hide ourselves. "

The other three grinned.

"Of course, _Harold_," Eagle teased.

Harry faked indignation. "Hey, my name is _not _Harold! You know that, _Emma_!"

Emma hit the back of Harry´s head. "I told you I don´t like that name! I like _Freyn _more, thank you very much!"

"I know, I know!" Harry admitted, and then turned to look at the other two amused teens. "So, Lily, John, do you want something to eat?"

John and Lily Moon were siblings; their parents had been killed in a car-crash, leaving them with no-one else. Until Harry had found them, of course. They were very quiet, the kind to sit down and watch from the distance. John, was even more calm that Lily, if that were possible. Or maybe it was that John chose to speak, whilst Lily, when she expressed herself, she usually was so - loud about it.

And of course, Emma Freyn Williams was Eagle. She was very loud in her opinions, but she normally thought before expressing them. She was, surprisingly, very ambitious as well. Nobody, but Harry, knew her past. It had always been a mystery as to why she wasn´t with her family, and Harry wasn´t about to tell anyone.

"Tea and biscuits would be great," Lily admitted with a smile, a smile that Harry gave back.

"Come on, then," he said, and they all got up. They were surprised to notice the sun was already in the sky. "The kitchens are this way. Lets hurry up, so we can be ready for the rest of the group. I'm sure they are all getting ready by now."

They exchanged amused glances. "Sure. Wouldn´t want to get between Lightnings and breakfast."

Harry grinned mischievously. "And you haven´t even met Sirius."

"Should we be worried?" Freyn said, mocking fear, as Lily, John and her sat down on the table, while Harry got out the food.

"_Harry_!" Someone shouted, probably Sirius, or maybe even Ron. "_Where are you? Are you already having breakfast?"_

Harry turned to look at his amused companions.

"I think you should."

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note. <span>(Dont skip this part, please! Its short, I promise!)<span>**

**Review. Do I need to say more?**

**No- really, I would appreciate if you would tell me how its it going so far.**

**Also, If anyone wants to Beta for this, I would be grateful**


	16. The Platform again

**Disclaimer: I don´t own an - you know, Im tired of writing the same thing over and over again. Lets get creative.**

**Mmm. Oh, I got it.**

**I, Lily Fierros, hereby swore that Im not called J.K. Rowling, nor I own WB. So, there´s no way in Earth I own Harry Potter. (It would be great, though...)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4.- The Platform again.<strong>

Time passed quickly, and between adapting the new members of their small team, and finding most of the Horcruxes, it soon was the first of September; as Tornado discovered, surprised, while looking at the newsletter.

"Were not going to Hogwarts yet, anyway," he said after getting over the shock. "We still have to destroy all of Lord Voldemort´s bloody souvenirs."

"I know," Charles sighed. "Dumbledore it's not going to like that we arrive late."

Murmurs of agreement followed that statement, and it was true. Albus Dumbledore, the 'leader' of the light, hated their presence in the castle, and arriving late would certainly not improve his - ah, feeling.

They continued their searching, but could not help feeling that they would rather be in the castle; Hogwarts even though some of them didn´t want to admit it) had become their home

* * *

><p>Charles yawned as he sleepily put on his clothes and robe. His mother had woke him up earlier, saying that last years it had been a mess, what with all of them being late. This time, she had decided they would be punctual. Unfortunately, Charles wasn´t a morning person, and he nearly fell asleep while having breakfast. Finally, the Potter´s were ready. Mother and Father took their younger son´s hands and appeared to King´s Cross.<p>

Once inside the station they lingered casually beside the barrier between platforms nine and ten until the coast was clear, then each of them leaned against it in turn and fell easily through on to platform nine and three-quarters, where the Hogwarts Express stood belching sooty steam over a platform packed with departing students and their families.

Charles turned to his own, swallowing. Even after years of leaving home for a year, he still felt homesick sometimes. He tried to act normal, though.

Lily hugged him tightly, and then kissed him on his forehead.

"Be good this year, Charles," she whispered. "I wouldn´t be able to stay sane if you have another 'eventful' year..."

James Potter chuckled, before messing his son´s hair. It stayed frizzy for a moment, before it fell into place again. "I doubt he will have a calm year, Lils."

Charles grinned at him, and for a moment all was perfect. Then his mother looked at him in the eyes, serious. "Charles, be careful, please. And, if you hear from Harry, please. Tell us."

Charles looked at the floor at the mention of his 'big' brother. He then looked at his parents, and saw the desperation, of knowing nothing about their kid, and nodded.

"I will, mum."

The older Potter´s smiled at him, and Charles felt oddly guilty.

_If only Harry were here, _he thought sadly.

A warning whistle sounded; the students still on the platform started hurrying on to the train. Charles hurried to the train, stepping inside a compartment, and waved to his parents.

"See you!" he called out of the open window as the train began to move, and watched until the blurred figures of parents disappeared from his view.

The train was gathering still more speed, so that the houses outside the window flashed past, and Charles figured it was the best to find his friends.

He struggled off down the corridor, peering through the glass-panelled doors into the compartments he passed, which were already full. Charles could not help noticing that a lot of people stared back at him with great interest and that several of them nudged their neighbours and pointed him out. After he had met this behaviour in five consecutive carriages he remembered that the Daily Prophet had been telling its readers all summer what a lying show-off he was. He wondered dully whether the people now staring and whispering believed the stories.

It was until the last carriage that he found his friends; Hannah, Susan, Seamus and Dean. He waved at them from the door, and then stepped in.

"Hi, Charles," Hannah exclaimed. "You were made a prefect too!" she said when she noticed his badge. "Oh, I'm so glad. This way I´ll know someone in the meetings!"

Charles grinned at her. "Yeah. I was about to leave now. We don´t want to arrive late."

Bothe stood up, and after waving goodbye to their exasperated friends, left to the Prefects compartment.

Both of them did not turn up for nearly an hour, by which time the food trolley had already gone by. Their friends had finished their pumpkin pasties and were busy swapping Chocolate Frog Cards when the compartment door slid open and they walked in.

"I'm starving," said Charles, as he grabbed a Chocolate Frog from Dean - who offered him one after his return and throwing himself into the seat next to him. He ripped open the wrapper, bit off the frog's head and leaned back with his eyes closed as though he had had a very exhausting morning.

"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each house," said Hannah, as she took her seat. "Boy and girl from each."

"And guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" said Charles, still with his eyes closed.

"Nott," replied everyone at once, knowing already that their Slytherin enemy would be the one to have been offered the place.

"Yeah," said Hannah sadly, as she played with a strand of her blond hair.

"And that girl - Daphne Greengrass," said Charles. "She's actually not that bad. Still, a Slytherin, though."

"Who is the other Hufflepuff?" Susan asked, looking up from a book she had been reading.

"Ernie Macmillan," said Hannah, smiling. Ernie was one of her friends from Hufflepuff.

"And Wayne Hopkins and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw," said Charles, checking his clock and sighing. "The other Gryffindor prefect is Sally-Anne Perks."

"Oh, Sally-Anne," Susan nodded, "I think we have a few classes together. She is nice."

"We're supposed to patrol the corridors every so often," Charles told Susan, Dean and Seamus, and the conversation ended. Charles dozed out after a while.

"We'd better change," Hannah said suddenly, waking him up, and all of them opened their trunks with difficulty and pulled on their school robes. She and Charles checked that their prefect badges were pinned to their chests.

At last, the train began to slow down and they heard the usual racket up and down it as everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready to get on.

They shuffled out of the compartment feeling the first sting of the night air on their faces as they joined the crowd in the corridor. Slowly, they moved towards the doors. Charles could smell the pine trees that lined the path down to the lake. He stepped down on to the platform and looked around, listening for the familiar call of 'firs'-years over 'ere . . . firs'-years . . .'

But it did not come. Instead, a quite different voice, a brisk female one, was calling out, 'First-years line up over here, please! All first-years to me!'

A lantern came swinging towards Charles and by its light he saw the prominent chin and severe haircut of Professor Grubbly-Plank, the witch who had taken over Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures lessons for a while the previous year.

'Where's Hagrid?' he said out loud.

'I don't know,' said Susan, pushing him gently to the side, letting the other students out.

Charles and Susan became separated as they moved off along the platform and out through the station. Jostled by the crowd, Charles squinted through the darkness for a glimpse of Hagrid; but there was no sign of him. Instead, he supervised as the younger students got out, as he´d been told to do in the meeting, and once he finished, he started looking around for his friends, wanting to know what they thought about the reappearance of Professor Grubbly-Plank, but neither of them was anywhere near him, so he allowed himself to be shunted forwards on to the dark rain-washed road outside Hogsmeade Station.

Here stood the hundred or so horseless stagecoaches that always took the students above first year up to the castle. Charles glanced quickly at them, turned away to keep a lookout for Seamus and Dean.

He found them waiting at one of the carriages, and they all got into it.

With a start, he realized that he hadn´t seen his brother or his friends. And a worried feeling got into his heart.

_Nightmare was okay_, he assured himself. But found himself doubting it.

_Was he?_

* * *

><p><strong><em>A.N.<em>**

**_Okay. No, Im not dead. Im really really sorry for the late update. I lost all the work I had for this chapter, so I had to start again. And I was in exams (and tiring projects too,) so I wasn´t able to write in a looong time._**

**_Okay so now Im in summer break/holidays, etc. so I´ll have lots of free time - which means, more chapters._**

**_I hope you liked it, even though I had to use one of JK´s chapters for orientation. Charles part is most similar to cannon, but with some changes, as he, well has parents and different friends. If you noticed, some sentences are the same from the book, so I´ll say now. (again) No, I don´t own them._**

**_Anyway._**

**_REVIEW!_**

**_Lily_**


	17. Professor Umbridge

By the time Nightmare had arrived to Hogwarts, Charles was so buried under assignments and projects he didn't even had the opportunity to talk to him. Although, he was relieved to see his twin alive and well.

Charles didn't tell his parents, though. There was enough on their minds with both Voldemort _and _Dumbledore to worry about without his long-lost-brother in the picture too.

So, for the moment, Charles resigned to talk with Dean and Seamus, occasionally Susan and Hannah, and to survive the subjects and Professors.

But with Professor Umbridge in the school, he doubted it would be very easy. He had only a few detentions with her; he knew she had obtained what very few professors gained: hate at first class.

Only a few weeks at Hogwarts had passed and she was even more hated than Snape was. Although, Charles noticed, the greasy-haired professor didn't like the toad very much either.

Charles checked his watch. He swore under his breath as he saw he was going to be late for Umbridge's class. He picked up his bag from the floor by the chair he had been relaxing on, and hurried to the Fat Lady's portrait. Once out of the common room, he ran all the way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, managing to arrive just in time.

He entered and sat, trying to block out the toad's fake sweet voice, but not managing. He left the room wondering why she didn't gave him detention, but he shrugged, wondering why she was in a good mood.

However, he didn't notice the student who stayed after class, or that the professor handed him a piece of parchment, whispering one sentence.

"_Do not be late."_

-oOo-

"So Harry, how goes Operation Horcrux?"

Harry sighed softly. "It goes. But now, since I have to attend classes and do homework, it isn't coming as easily as it was when I was out."

"I understand. Have you talked with your brother yet?"

It was mid-winter and Harry was talking to Ginny using phones, which they had figured how to make them run on magic instead of electricity. They had bought the late in the summer, when Harry decided he would be going alone to Hogwarts this time- both to check if a Horcrux was there and to watch over Charles.

"No. He seems really occupied with O.W.L.S. lately, and-" And at that, Ginny seemed to understand.

"You´re scared."

"Not really. I just -"

"Harry James Potter. Do _not_ dare top tell me that you are not scared, because we both know that you are!"

Harry winced at his girlfriend's tone, and admitted that he was, indeed, scared of what his twin would think of him when he knew everything that had happened during summer break.

"Harry," she started firmly. Then, she softened. "He is your brother. Trust him."

"I know," Harry sighed. "It's just - so many things have happened since we left Hogwarts. It-it's still difficult to cope with."

"I know, love."

Harry passed the cell phone from one hand to the other. "I have to get going. Tell everyone I said hello."

"I will. I miss you."

"I miss you too," replied Harry before turning off the conversation and placing the device in his pocket, and sighed again. He picked up his things to hurry up to class were he would, hopefully, be able to talk to Charles.

He didn't think he would get the opportunity because Defense Against the Dark Arts was next.

-oOo-

Ever since the first class she had with Charles Potter, Dolores Umbridge had wanted nothing more than to give Charles a lot of detentions- or torture, as most students saw them.

She had to change her mind, however, when one student had pleaded with her in hopes of taking the Boy-Who-Lived's place.

And she was really pleased when she realised that the student was a Potter too.

Potter's twin brother, indeed.

Dolores laughed at the thought. She knew that somehow, torturing the older twin would affect the younger. That, and it was so much fun to play with Harry Potter than it was with Charles.

Oh, yes. Dolores Umbridge was _looking forward _for the next Defense Against the Dark Arts class!

-oOo-

"You talked with Nigh- Harry?" Ron asked his sister that afternoon. She rolled her eyes at the question, as if the answer was obvious.

"Of course I did."

"And what did he say?" Hermione asked, curious.

"Not much, " Ginny frowned. "He seemed really tired," she admitted.

"I hope he is alright," Neville said, and everyone agreed.

"I wish we were able to help him more," said Sirius in frustration, after a moment of silence.

Freyn snorted. "Yeah, right. You know him. He wouldn't let us even if we could."

"And he needs to do this alone," said Luna dreamily. "He needs to feel in charge again."

"Yes, he does," Draco agreed.

They were in the biggest room in Black Manor, trying to relax; it was one of the only rooms where they could all fit in comfortably. They had found almost all of the Horcruxes. They knew where two of them were, and one that they didn't. They were only waiting for Harry to find the one they thought was in Hogwarts.

"The problem with the Midnights really affected him. He tried to stay strong, for our sake, but he has changed," Ginny said, already thinking of going to Hogwarts to visit her raven-haired boyfriend, but she did not tell the others about it.

They all settled in silence, each one in their own world.

-oOo-

Harry arrived at the door and knocked, forcing himself to stay polite.

Charles had ticked off Umbridge more than usual during the last Defense Against the Dark Arts class after one of her comments got on Charles's nerves. Although he didn't get detention, the toad-like professor had happily informed Harry that she expected him for detention that afternoon.

_Really_, Harry thought, _was it really that difficult to stay calm just one class?_

He was shook from his thoughts when the over-sweet voice that belonged to the professor called him to enter the room.

He did, as slowly and warily as he had done before.

"Ah, Mr. Potter," she said, with a fake smile. "You are two minutes late. You wouldn't want me to give the other Potter detention next time, would you?"

Harry felt his skin crawl at the not-so-subtle threat, but he showed none of his sudden fear.

"No, ma'am. I'm sorry. I lost track of time. It won't happen again."

The professor laughed as she handed him the familiar black quill and a piece of parchment.

"No. I'm sure you won't."

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><p><strong>AN. H<strong>ello!

**Enjoy this new chapter!**

**And I want to make a special thank you to my new beta: _listen2music4ever_!**

**Thank you so much!**

**Lily**


	18. One last time

**So, I know I´ve been gone for a long long time. I´m sorry! As it´s my final year before college, my professors seem to think we should not have any free time.**

**As for this chapter: Some of you may end confused. I will answer any questions you have. I tried to explain it all in the story. The fact is, for things I wanted to happen, I had to skip ahead in time. (Don´t worry, for all of you that want to know what happened in those ¨missing chapters¨, I will upload them as a series of one-shots)  
><strong>

**So, enjoy! And if you can, please, REVIEW!**

**(Oh, and I wish you a merry Christmas!)  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Harry Potter walked through the halls in Hogwarts, inwardly wincing at the multiple corpses that he encountered, and even though he felt like he rather lie down next to them and rest; he continued his mission, yet, with every minute, his hope diminished.<p>

"Charles!" he called one more time, but no-one answered.

He realized with a pang that he really missed Ginny, who he was really sure would've been a real comfort in this moment.

"Charles!" he repeated, wincing at how his voice broke at the end.

Everything had changed so much since that fateful day in which he had received a S.O.S. letter from the Order of Phoenix, and it was now, nearly two years later, that he realized how much had Charles Potter changed his life.

He had to find him, had to make sure he was okay –

In the distance, he heard a pained scream. A very familiar _pained _scream.

Dread filled him as he darted to the place where it came from.

"Charles!"

* * *

><p>"We should at least make sure he is okay," muttered Hermione as she and Ron paced in the dining room. Neville, Luna, Blaise, Draco, and Ginny were there as well.<p>

Sirius, Remus, John, Lily and Freyn had left long ago, back when the news of an attack reached their ears, and they had yet to come back. The rest didn´t know much, but one thing was clear, Lord Voldemort had managed to enter Hogwarts with help. And they knew who it was that helped him. Only one group had known the most about the school´s security. The Midnights, had had contact, even helped them put on the security wards.

Everyone was worried, even if not everyone was ready to admit it.

Hermione left Ron´s side as she hurried to Ginny´s own side, who had been rarely quiet the whole ordeal.

"Ginny?"

The red-head didn´t lift her head, but rather, stayed the same, even when the rest looked at her in concern.

"Ginny?" Blaise asked, moving closer, as did the rest of them. It was very unusual for Ginny to be this life-less.

"I messed up," she whispered so quietly that no-one heard her.

"Gin?" Hermione asked, exchanging a look with Draco. Luna frowned.

"I messed up, Hermione!" the red-head exclaimed, finally looking up.

They met her reddish eyes, missing their usual fire in them, and they all wondered how they could have missed her quietness during the last weeks.

"What do you mean?" asked Draco, as confused as the other Lightning.

Ginny lifted herself out of the couch, and paced in front of them.

"After that last time we talked to Harry, I – I went to visit him."

"You did –what?" Hermione, Ron, Blaise and Draco all exclaimed, while Neville and Luna looked surprised.

Ginny messed up with her long red hair as she paced more slowly and almost looking ashamed of herself.

"Well, I've had noticed something off with him, and I – well, I went to the school, but – " she cut herself off.

"But what?" Ron demanded, after a moment of silence.

"Well, Umbridge caught me…"

"_She _caught _you_" Neville blurted.

Everyone looked at him.

"What?" he said, defensively. "It´s just, well. The toad defeated _Ginny_?"

Ginny blushed.

"It wasn´t one of my best moments, okay?"

"Well, Umbridge caught you, and –"

Ginny shifted. "Er, I had no idea, really," she said quickly "of the torments he was going through, and when she saw me, er, she… kind of blackmailed me?" she said the last part very quickly.

The rest of the Lightnings looked at her incredulously.

They couldn´t believe Ginny had been blackmailed. Normally it was the other way (although Ron could remember two other people who had managed to blackmail his younger sister).

Suddenly, she turned on them, hair blazing and looking every bit the fire master she was, that they all unconsciously took a step back in fear.

"One word of this to anyone and you are dead, understand?"

They all nodded energetically, and she sighed in relief, shoulders slumping, her previous strength disappearing in a second.

"She told me to end it with Harry," she said in a small voice, eyes downcast. "Or she would – "

She looked at them with a vacant stare.

"I- I really thought she was going to kill him," she said brokenly, as she hugged Luna, who had stepped closer to her. "I- I had no choice, I was already planning to leave before Harry saw me – except, except, he already knew I was there. I´ve never seen him so happy, and yet, he has never looked so, so tired."

She sat down again, taking a shaky breath before continuing. "We walked through the gardens, and it was just so perfect. And then, in a flash, he was there, and – he was asking me – when we are old enough – "she broke in tears, to the astonishment of the rest. Ginny never, ever cried.

"He asked you to marry him?" Hermione exclaimed, as she figured it out.

Someone, maybe Ron gasped.

"And I had to say no!" Ginny cried, with her face pressed against her palms. "She made me say no!"

"Oh Ginny," Hermione muttered, sympathetically.

The distressed red-head pulled herself together. "We have to get there. I- I can´t lose him. Please."

Neville took his wand, and turned to the others. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

* * *

><p>Harry arrived in the Great Hall heart beating painfully in his chest, and the dread he felt only a moment before intensifying greatly.<p>

His (in words of his friends) selfless spirit was already sprinting in when he heard Lord Voldemort´s voice.

"Well, well. Look who is here."

Harry´s eyes took in the terrifying figure of Voldemort standing above his fallen brother, before glancing at his surroundings.

He felt a rush of anger when he saw Shadow standing with those with the Dark Mark.

He restrained himself from looking anymore, not sure if he could take more betrayal, and he returned his angry, tired eyes towards the most danger.

His wand was already up when the red beam of light advanced towards him, stopping it and then returning it to his caster.

Harry formulated a plan on his mind as he lifted his wand-less hand and pointed it at Charles, summoning him with a flicker; his other hand already casting a protective dome between both of them. He needed to make sure Charles understood his plan.

"Muffliato!" he whispered, pointing to the end of the dome.

Every death eater there attacked the dome mercilessly as Harry snooped down to Charles side.

He reached to check his pulse, and breathed in relief when he felt one. He thanked whoever was hearing for Voldemort´s arrogance.

"Charles?" he whispered, growling angrily at the deep cuts and angry burns that covered his brother´s arms. "Charles?"

The boy mumbled, and opened his eyes slowly. "Harry?"

"Shh," he said soothingly. "Charles, listen to me, okay?"

"Yes," Charles mumbled.

"Do you have a wand?" Harry asked, already guessing the answer.

"No, I ´m sorry."

"It's alright," Harry said, pressing his own on his brother´s side. "I´m going to try to distract him, all right?"

Charles nodded.

"You are the one in the prophesy, Charles. You have to be the one to do it. I will try to help you, but you have to do it."

Harry hesitated before continuing. "I know you can do it. I have faith on you. Just - no matter what happens, you have to continue, Charles."

Charles eyes snapped to his brother´s face fearfully. "Harry, I- I can´t…"

"You can, and you will do it," Harry snapped. Another round of jinxes and curses crashed against the dome, and Harry winced with the effort of maintaining it.

"Don´t do anything rash, Harry,"

Harry stood up. "Can´t promise anything, Charles."

And he let the dome fall.

Voldemort sneered.

"Harry Potter, we meet again."

Harry remained passive, hand ready.

"Answer to me, boy," Voldemort demanded. "Are you going to try to save your little brother once again?"

"Maybe," Harry said, tonelessly.

Laughter erupted from the Dark Lord, and his army of Death Eaters joined him.

"Another reason like love, I suppose?" Voldemort sneered, pointing at Charles. "The boy has certainly grown on you. Enough to die for him?"

Harry shook his head. "Am I ready to die? Yes, I am. But not for Charles."

More laughter filled the room, like mocking him.

"For what, then?" Voldemort asked.

"For what is right," Harry said loudly. "For loyalty and truth; and bravery. For everything that you are not. For immortality that goes beyond living. I don´t know if you´ve noticed, Riddle, but the seven are no more. I´ve made sure of it."

And now it was Harry teasing him.

Rage filled Voldemort´s face; for the taunt of his given name or the treat of his lost horcruxes, Harry didn´t get to guess. He was ready for it when it came, the attack, and he lifted both palms, pushing every bit of power he had into the spell.

It was tiring, yes, but Harry had seen what Voldemort had not. Charles had started to make his way towards the both of them, wand pointed towards what once was Tom Riddle.

The doors opened harshly, they had been pushed fiercely, and the members of the Lightnings filled the room.

The Death Eaters were already fleeing the room when Charles attacked their leader.

The man fell, lifeless, and crumpled, beyond recognition. Lord Voldemort had fallen.

Both Charles and Harry stumbled, tired, and wary. Harry reached for Charles.

"Are you okay?"

The boy looked at him, and nodded, nearly unconsciousness, but it wasn´t after Lily and James Potter had arrived and taken over Charles that he made his way towards the lone redhead.

They looked at each other in understanding, and Ginny hugged him briefly before he broke off her embrace and disappeared from the hall.

It was the last time any of them saw Harry Potter in a long time.


	19. Not really a chapter, sorry Read anyway

**Hey, everyone!**

**I know, I know... not supposed to do this. Sorry :D**

**I have good news.**

**A part 2, or continuation of The Nightmare of Midnight is coming out next Wednesday. **

**So... Stay tuned? :D**

**I'm really happy about this, I've got so many ideas to develop. (Trust me, like 10 pages only of plotting. Too bad my brother ruined some of them when he accidentally dropped his glass of water on them. Oh, well. I've got them on my head.)**

**For those of them who are still really confused about NOM's ending - do NOT worry. Some one-shots are being planned to explain all of it. (Or you can send me a message, and I will gladly answer all your questions. I'm really sorry if it confused you, and that it was that rushed. I wanted to end that part quickly, as I was just ending that term, and It was a lot of pressure. I even considered not finishing it, and leaving Fanfiction - but I can't. So, I sorted things out, and I am really to start a new chapter. Literally.)**

**Thanks to all of you who have been really supportive of me. I can't even express how touched I am with all of your words. I'm something of a loner, so to have so many people express their appreciation of my work is - just - incredible. You all are the best part of my day, and I really look foward to hearing more about your reaction to this story - even if its to flame. At least that means that you find it even a bit meaningful, if you take the time to write a critic. Thank you. That just makes me wanna be better everyday.**

**Thanks too, for being so patient with my not-so-good English. I've never had other better teachers that books and fanfics, so sometimes my grammar, or my phrasing is not the best. You are so wonderful for well, being so patient with it. I appreciate all of your notes about what I have wrong... I kind of wish I was a native speaker, so... Love you. **

**Thank you all so much! - I really mean it.**

**Now that's been said, next part.**

**So excited for this year. Lots of things are happening.**

** *I'm just about to finish High School. **

** *I choose Psychology as my Bachelor's degree. ( I plan on getting a Master on Forensic's Psychology and some classes on Criminology and Criminalistics. If I can get to a PhD, I will totally do it - love to learn).**

** *Uh... I've just been to NASA on Spring break? It was great. Though when I went to the malls, and then to the Food Courts and ordered food, I really couldn't understand anything. I swear everyone did it on purpose! Why do you talk so low and fast, Texans?! Of course, loved it when some of them tried to talk in Spanish. It ended being something like this:**

** "Uh, I want to order a Cheeseburger and the medium French Fries," I would say, and then, because a friend had asked if I could buy her medium french fries, I would add, "and an extra medium French Fries."**

**The guy looked at me like I was crazy. Did I spelled it wrong, by the way?**

**"Cheeseburger and papas?" he asked. I nodded. **

**"And an extra medium fr- papas," **

**"Oh, oh, right," he would say excited. "A cheeseburger and two medium papas!"**

**Needless to be said, even ordering my food proved to be all an adventure. Loved it there, anyway. :D**

**So... well, I really needed to get that out. So unfair I wasn't born there, but that my brother was. Ugh. Lucky Kid.**

**Love,**

**Lily**


	20. NOTE!

**The sequel for The Nightmare of Midnight has been published!**

**Go to my profile and click on The End of a Nightmare if you wish to read it!**

**Lily**


	21. Re-do

Hey, everyone. I Know, I know. I am not supposed to do this. I know.

I wanted to tell you that the rewrite for this story is officially in progress, and that I will be posting the first, revised chapter really soon.

This will not be completely a rewrite, but rather, I will check all chapters and correct things that were rushed, or any name changes that I may have missed.

So, don't be like me, and don't miss the new, improved story!

Lily


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